


Girl Next Door

by Lightning5



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Family, Single Parent!Gale, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-02
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-03-10 05:38:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 22,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3278768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightning5/pseuds/Lightning5
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snapshots starting when Gale finds himself with a brand-new neighbor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. March

**Author's Note:**

> Getting back into the groove of writing Gadge!

She moved in to the house next door about a week ago. Gale remembered seeing the U-Haul truck in the driveway as he got into his own car with Eli, dressed in his baseball uniform, sitting behind him in his car seat. He had smiled politely when he made contact with her blue eyes and his stomach clenched when she reciporcated.

Since then, Gale was determined to walk over and introduce himself and his son but grew discouraged every time he looked in that direction. It wasn't until he was playing catch with Eli on a Sunday morning that he finally got to talk to her.

"Dad! She has a puppy!" Eli exclaimed before he abandon his glove and ran to catch up with the young woman. Gale called after him, but Eli was to engrossed in the dog. Gale walked over to join them, adjusting his baseball cap nervously as he watched the young woman kneel beside Eli and the dog on her front lawn. It gave him time to slow his rapidly beating heart and to get a closer look at her.

She had to be around her mid-twenties, a little younger than Gale, who was twenty eight. Her blonde hair was up in a bun, she was wearing a summer dress and white tennis shoes, her fair skin lightly tanned and when she looked up at him with that same smile she gave him a week ago, Gale thought he died and went to Heaven.

"Hi," she said brightly. "I'm Madge. This is Cooper," she added, gesturing to her beagle, who lavished in the attention Eli was giving him by wagging his tail.

"My son, Eli. And I'm Gale." He cringed internally at the formal tone of his voice. He offered her a hand up, which she took, brushing off any grass from her dress with her free hand.

"Well, it's nice to finally meet you, Gale. One less person for me to keep refering to as neighbor."

* * *

 

They started talking soon after that, whether it was face-to-face or texting, and three weeks later, at Eli's insistence, Gale invited Madge to Eli's little league game.

"Totally up to you," Gale mentioned after an afternoon walk with her, Eli and Cooper. "I mean, if you're okay with watching a bunch of five-year-olds running around."

"Hey! I'm one of those five-year-olds!" Eli exclaimed, slightly jumping up and down next to his dad.

"I don't mind. I'd love to come watch," Madge said, sharing a glance with Gale, who smirked. Eli gave a little whoop, causing Cooper to bark.

Saturday morning arrived. When Gale got up, dressed and went to check on Eli, he found the little boy dressed in his uniform and talking on Gale's cell phone in the kitchen. _Wait. What?_

"Eli, who're talking to?"

The young boy giggled at whatever the person on the other end said before turning to his dad.

"Madge! She said she's ready to go. We're just waiting for you."

Gale raised his eyebrow and gestured for Eli to give him his phone. "Go get your bag. Hey," he added, watching Eli run out of the kitchen.

"Hey," she laughed and Gale couldn't help the smile form on his face. "I pretty much packed for a camping trip. Wasn't sure what to bring exactly."

"I'm sure you're exaggerating," Gale replied, shrugging into his jacket and grabbing his hat, keys, and wallet as he headed to the front door where Eli was waiting. Opening the door, they found Madge walking up the concrete path with a tote bag ready to burst.

"Told ya," she said, letting out a small laugh at the surprised look on his face while ending the call.

Before he could respond, Eli ran to grab her hand and drag her to the car. Gale pocketed his phone, rolled his eyes and followed.

"What's in here?" he asked, taking the tote bag from her. She gave his shoulder a small shove when he pretended to stagger under the weight.

"The essentials. Water, Gatorade, granola bars, an extra jacket, my sunscreen, my clutch, camera—"

"Jesus, Undersee." Gale cautiously set her bag down in the open trunk, letting Madge rummaged through it so she could grab her camera and slammed it shut. Madge shot him a playful warning look before helping Eli into his carseat and buckling him up.

"Can it, Hawthorne."

"Yeah, Dad," Eli giggled from his seat as Gale opened the front passenger door for her, while she closed Eli's. She gave Gale a truimphant look before thanking him and getting into the car.

* * *

 

"She's pretty cool."

Gale turned to fourteen-year-old Posy, who was munching away on the granola bar Madge gave to her.

"You think so?"

Posy nodded. "Yeah and I'm saying that 'cause she doesn't take your shit from what I can tell."

Gale scoffed before returning his attention to the game in front of him. Madge was up against the fence, off to the side of where other parents had congregated, to take pictures of Eli, who stood roughly where the second baseman would. His mother, Hazelle, had joined her a few minutes ago. _Interrogation time_ , Gale thought.

"We're just friends."

"Yeah—now. I would be overjoyed if you two started dating. Although you've been out of the game for awhile—"

He groaned. "Pose—"

"I'm just saying!"

Gale wasn't opposed to dating. His only concern was his son and his reaction to any woman coming into their lives. Would he like whoever it was and vice versa? It's always going to come down to Eli, so Gale doesn't go out of his way to find someone. Which was fine with Gale, but why are there butterflies in his stomach whenever he takes a look at Madge? Was there really a chance? Eli has mentioned Madge numerous times when it was just the two of them. Does that mean he approves of her? There were so many questions swirling around in his mind, he didn't realize his mother and Madge had rejoined them on the bleachers.

"You okay?" Hazelle asked. He nodded, taking note of the concerned look on Madge's face before gesturing to her to take the seat next to him so he could see the pictures she took on her camera. He felt himself relax as she sat down.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She whispered, pressing the button to go to the next picture on the small monitor.

"Yeah," he whispered back, smiling at the photos of Eli, especially the one where he waves at the camera—at Madge—before going to bat. "Just thinking about things." _You. I'm thinking about you_.

"Oh, good things I hope?"

She had just reached the last photo. It was taken when they were in the car. It was the three of them, Madge and Eli eagerly grinning while Gale gave the camera a closed mouth smile. They looked like a small family. Gale's stomach gave a swooping sensation at the thought.

_Shit. What is wrong with me?_


	2. Mid-April

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I know, I know. What took me so long? RL. Well hopefully this is up to par for everyone. Thank you to those who have read the first chapter, gave kudos and left comments! You are awesome!
> 
> This scene takes place a month after the first chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games series.

Gale was finishing up the dishes when he received a text message from Madge.

_My kid's out for the night._

He chuckled at the picture she sent a few seconds later. Cooper, flat on his back, sleeping in his bed. He couldn't help but look into the living room where Eli had fallen asleep on the couch in a similar fashion.

_Gale, 7:02 PM: Mine too. I guess they had a long day._

_Madge, 7:02 PM: Oh yes, naptime and recess. The good ol' days ;)_

Pocketing his phone, Gale tiptoed into the living room to scoop Eli off the couch and into his arms. The little boy was unfazed and continued to sleep, letting out a soft snore as they entered his room.

"C'mon bud," Gale whispered, setting him down on his bed after turning on the light. "Pajamas."

"Okay, Daddy," Eli yawned, rubbing his eye and yawning at the same time.

It took a few minutes, but Gale managed to get Eli in his pajamas and tucked in. Eli stretched his arms out for a hug, which Gale gave him, and informed Gale that he was too tired for a story. Gale was thankful as he didn't feel like reading after his own long day at the auto shop. As Eli slept, curled up on his side, he plugged in the night light before heading back to the living room to watch his shows on his DVR.

_Gale, 7:29 PM: I'll take a juice box with my nap thanks._

_Madge, 7:30 PM: Noted. I'll be sure to leave it by your bed._

Gale grinned down at his phone. Madge in his bedroom was something he wouldn't mind. Not at all.

_Gale, 7:32 PM: You joining me Undersee? Naptime is very important_

He hit send without reviewing what he typed. When she didn't respond after a minute or so, Gale felt incredibly stupid. He focused on his show as though that would stop him from thinking about his text and the fact that she wasn't responding. Was his attempt at flirting that bad? Could it even be considered flirting? Why did he send it? When he didn't receive anything during a commercial break that he could have fast forward through, he groaned into his hands. Staring at the screen through his hands, he was ready for the hardwood floors to swallow him up. _Ding_.

"Holy shit," Gale whispered, almost letting the phone slip from his grasp as he picked it up. It could be a text from someone else, like Thom or Finnick. If it was her than she's probably going to tell him off or tell him to step up his flirting game.

_Madge, 7:46 PM: As long as you don't hog the covers Hawthorne_

Gale exhaled, relieved that she was flirting back. The image of Madge in his arms, lounging in his bed, sharing lazy kisses that would become more intense—

_Gale, 7:46 PM: I don't mind sharing_

_Madge, 7:48 PM: Good. So what are you up to tonight?_

_Gale, 7:50 PM: Eli's in bed so I'm catching up on my shows. You?_

_Madge, 7:50 PM: Going to some bar with a friend. She needs a wingwoman for tonight_

When he read the first part of the text, Gale felt a flash of jealously. Berating himself, he leaned back and stared up at the ceiling as he thought of what to say. _Have fun_? _Have a drink for me_? No matter what he could say, it felt like he was trying to make her feel bad for going out, but that wasn't his intention. He _wants_  her to have fun, let loose and have a couple of drinks and help her friend out. _Ding. Ding_.

_Madge, 8:02 PM: I'd rather stay home_

He smiled.

_Madge, 8:02 PM: You don't happen to have any hot friends I can set her up with?_

He grimaced. He's never considered the attractiveness of his friends. Was he supposed to? Instead he thought about who was single besides himself: Darius.

_Gale, 8:05 PM: Well my friend Darius is single_

_Madge, 8:06 PM: I can work with single_

_Gale, 8:06 PM: He's a police officer. Think your friend would be okay with that?_

_Madge, 8:10 PM: Oh Johanna can handle anything_

They continued to text throughout the night, Madge sending tidbits of what was happening at the bar. Gale, stretched out on the couch, found himself laughing a few times at Johanna, currently hustling some guy at the pool table.

_Madge, 11:01 PM: I didn't even know she knew how to play_

_Gale, 11:01 PM: It's not that hard_

_Madge, 11:02 PM: you can teach me plz_

_Gale, 11:02 PM: When?_

_Madge, 11:05 PM: Now_

Gale paused as another text came in.

_Unless you don't want naptime._

_She's playing dirty_ , he thought.

"I do want naptime," he mumbled under his breath. Yawning, he deleted what he was originally going to send and typed what he said aloud.

They went back and forth for awhile. Gale could tell she was at least buzzed, judging by the way she was abbreviating some of her words when she, like Gale, usually spelled everything out. It was around one in the morning when Madge apologized for keeping him up, but he reassured her that he was still watching his shows. Waiting for her reply, Gale covered himself with the blanket he keeps by the couch and watched his cop show. He yawned a few times within several minutes and found his eyes closing. He tried to stay awake but the low volume of the show was lulling him to sleep.

Gale didn't hear the sound of his phone notifiying him that he had a new message. Or the slam of two car doors, a pair of girls giggling, one of them asking the other how hot the neighbor was and when she was going to "tap that". He was fast asleep, deep in a dream involving the blushing blonde shushing her friend as they entered the house next door.


	3. May

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games series or characters.
> 
> As always, any mistakes you find are my own. Hope you enjoy this chapter. (I'll be delving into the Hawthorne boys' past in future chapters.)
> 
> Thank you to those who read this story, leave kudos and reviews!

Katniss headed down to the main floor when Gale called her back up. She sighed before turning back, gripping her computer bag strap slung over her shoulder. She was ready to go home after looking at numbers all day to relax with a drink and cuddle with Peeta. Whatever Gale needed could wait.

"You yelled?" she deadpanned, entering his office to see him pouring over a few things at his desk. Gale sighed as he looked up at her.

"Would you mind picking up Eli from school? I have to stay here longer than I thought."

Picking up her godson trumped her plans for the rest of the day. "No problem. I'll stay at the house 'til you get there. Anything else?"

He shook his head and she waved goodbye as she left the office, now hurrying down the steps, passing Thom and the small handful of employees working in the garage to get to her car. The elementary school wasn't that far from the shop, but lack of parking was inevitable.

Katniss groaned when she arrived to find every space taken in front of the school, so she had to park in the residental street, fast walking it back to the school to beat the bell that was sure to ring any second. Entering the small playground for the pre-kindergarten classes, Katniss wait amongst the other parents, eager to see her godson and to get the hell away from a few parents, who in the past have mistaken her as _Mrs. Hawthorne_. The thought alone made her cringe. Gale is and will forever be her best friend and she was happy being Eli's godmother.

The bell rang, children with backpacks and lunchboxes came running out to meet their parents. Katniss stepped closer, keeping an eye out for Eli. She found him near the classroom door, nodding along to something his teacher Miss Trinket was telling him. Whe his green eyes found hers, Katniss couldn't help but grin at him as she approached.

"Katniss my dear! It is so good to see you!" Miss Trinket trilled.

They talked pleasantries for a minute or two during which Eli was getting anxious to go home. Miss Trinket waved them away, laughing at the impish look on Eli's face as she told the pair to have a good weekend.

After checking that Eli was buckled in his car seat, Katniss made her way to the Hawthorne house.

"Hey Kat?" Eli began, looking at her reflection in the rear view mirror. "Can we see Cooper?"

"Who's Cooper?"

"My friend's dog."

Katniss raised her eyebrows as she waited to make a left-hand turn. "You mean Dylan?"

Eli giggled. "No. He doesn't have a dog!"

 _Well, he's right_ , she thought. The Odairs don't have any pets, even though Dylan has asked his mother many times before.

"So who is this friend?" she asked, pulling up to the house. She notice a blonde woman coming out of her house to grab the mail as she placed her car in park, ready to get out.

"She's right there!" Eli exclaimed, pointing at the blonde, who was now heading back inside. Katniss took another look but the woman was gone. Reaching the sidewalk, Katniss opened Eli's door, unbuckling the young boy, who somehow got out of the car without any help and immediately ran to the neighbor's house.

"Eli!" Katniss called after him, shutting the door and racing over as fast as she could with both her bag and his backpack. The young boy didn't listen and proceeded to ring the doorbell. Katniss could here the barking of the dog he mentioned in the car. "Eli, what have I told you about running?"

"Not to," he said sheepishly, giving her the puppy eyes he learned from Peeta no doubt. Before she could say anything, the door opened.

Eli brightened. "Hi, Madge!"

Katniss whipped her head up. "Madge?"

A look of confusion was on the woman's face before turning into immediate recognition.

"Katniss?"

It had been years since Katniss had last seen Madge. They were college roommates during their freshman year before Madge transferred to stay close to home. They tried to keep in touch through email and texts, but by the start of junior year, the conversations petered off without either girl realizing it. And here they were, just staring at each other, while Eli played the Cooper at their feet.

"I can't believe it," Katniss said, taking note of how Madge looked the same, but there was something there that Katniss couldn't quite place.

"That makes two of us," Madge replied, grinning as she stepped forward, pulling Katniss into a hug, which she returned with a laugh.

* * *

 

She texted Peeta that she was catching up with an old friend and sent one to Gale saying she was next door as they settled themsleves on the sofa in Madge's living room, while Eli sat closer to the flat screen t.v. with Cooper at his side, watching an animated educational show on PBS.

"So what have you been up to?" Katniss asked, setting her phone down on the coffee table as she faced Madge.

"Well, I'm designing now," Madge began. Katniss sat in astonishment as Madge explained how she got an intership with a fashion designer called Cinna, who has been on the rise in the fashion industry when several actresses wore his gowns for one of the many awards shows last year. "After graduating, Cinna called me up and offered me a job. Of course, I said yes. I love it. Not the long hours, but hey it pays the bills," she added, jokingly.

Katniss was about to respond when her phone went off, notifying her that she received a text message from Peeta. Apologizing to Madge, she quickly read his message, blushing as she responded.

"Who's got you blushing?" Madge asked, laughingly. "Your boyfriend?"

Katniss rolled her eyes. "Yeah. You're going to hate me when I tell you who it is."

"What? Why?"

Katniss looked down at her phone before taking a deep breath and closed her eyes. "You remember Peeta?"

She waited for a few moments, waiting for Madge to say something. Opening her eyes, she found Madge gaping at her, her blue eyes wide.

"Peeta? Peeta Mellark from freshmen year? The guy who always went out of his way to say hi to you?" Madge went on and on, until Katniss held up her hand to stop her.

"Yes, that Peeta Mellark."

"Holy shit," Madge whispered so Eli couldn't hear her. "I'm going to wait and ask him how he wore you down 'cause I know you won't tell me."

"I'll tell you if you tell me about Gale," Katniss quipped, smirking as Madge began to blush.

"You know him better than I do," Madge said primly, crossing her arms. Katniss raised her eyebrow. They began a staring contest, but Madge, eyes watering from attempting to keep her eyes open, blinked. "Damn. Okay, okay."

Like old times, they lost track of the actual time, reminiscing of the time they spent together and gossiping, which Katniss swore she never did, about the men in their lives. It wasn't until Eli joined them on the couch and announced he was hungry.

"I should probably take you home then," Katniss mused, running her hand through his hair as Madge watched.

"No!" Eli protested, sitting up. "I want to stay here."

"What about your dad?" she asked, sharing a look with Madge. They waited as he thought about her question only to hear the doorbell ring. Madge left the pair while she went to answer followed by a barking Cooper. She heard a muffled conversation and footsteps coming closer and closer to the living room—

"Daddy!" Eli exclaimed, jumping off the sofa to run to Gale. Katniss watched as Gale caught him to pick him up while Madge stood at his side with a small smile on her face and Cooper ran around them. It was such a scene of domesticity that Katniss felt a lump in her throat. She didn't know what it was. Peeta was better at explaining things than she was.

Clearing her throat and rising from the sofa, Katniss caught Madge's attention.

"I should head out. Peeta's waiting for me," she shrugged, grabbing her bag. Gale pretended to gag, much to Eli's amusement, while Madge comically waggled her eyebrows. Katniss rolled her eyes at their antics. "Yeah, yeah. See you boys later," she added, following Madge towards the front door.

"Let me know when you're free so we can hang out," Madge said, giving her a hug as they got to her car.

"Well, we're having a surprise party for my birthday next week so you're definitely invited."

"Aren't you supposed to _not_ know it's a surprise party?"

Katniss gave her a look over the roof of the car. "It's not my fault Peet told me."

"Uh-huh. I wonder what you were doing to him that made him blurt it out."

"I have my ways." Getting into the car, she pushed the button to get the passenger side's window down, where Madge was now crouching to look in. "Maybe I'll teach you a few you can use on Gale," she cheeked, causing Madge to scowl playfully. "Go back inside already!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter! I know, not a lot of Gadge time. I wanted to introduce Katniss in this chapter.


	4. June

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of The Hunger Games series. Just Eli and Cooper.
> 
> I did a quick edit in order to post today, so if you find any mistakes I apologize in advance!
> 
> Enjoy!

For Madge, the past month came and went in a blink of an eye. Between work and attempting to have a social life (why did she introduce Katniss to Johanna) let alone a love life (the disastrous blind date), Madge was ready for a break. To her, a break meant trying to sleep in with Cooper, who had his own schedule, before making coffee to drink in bed while Cooper lounged near her feet.

 _Ding_! Madge reached for her phone on her bedside table, her heart thumping as if she already knew who was texting her.

**_Gale, 9:15 AM: Morning. Ready to go?_ **

"Shit," she murmured, throwing the covers back and jumping out of bed. Cooper stayed where he was, watching her run around to gather what she needed. She forgot she had agreed to go to the beach with Gale and Eli. They had planned to go sooner but this was the first time since Katniss's birthday that they didn't have conflicting schedules. She texted a reply as she threw on her new bikini Johanna practically forced her to buy and wear for Gale ("You look amazing. That man is going to _love it_ ," Johanna smirked.). As always, Johanna was right. Madge admired herself in the full length mirror before covering up in a gray v-neck shirt and jean shorts.

Heading to the front, Madge slipped into her flips flops with Cooper following close behind her. She made sure she had everything and that Cooper had enough food and water before petting said dog as she walked through the door and locked it behind her.

Madge couldn't help but laugh when Eli came running out, wearing a gray swim shirt with blue board shorts and a pair of sunglasses perched on his nose.

"Are you ready? Are you ready?" he asked, holding Madge's hand. When she said she was, Eli launched into today's plans while leading her to the car.

She looked back to see Gale, black tank top and red board shorts, lugging a cooler on wheels and shouldering a backpack. She couldn't help but sigh as she gave him a once over. _Those arms_ , she thought wistfully as she turned back around.

There's been numerous times she's imagined being wrapped up in his embrace, gripping his biceps, which led to more inappropriate thoughts. Sometimes she felt guilty since they're just friends but Madge couldn't help it. Going to the beach wasn't going to help either.

* * *

 

Eli shrieked when the water made contact with his feet. Madge had him in front of her with her arms around his chest, his hands gripping her forearms.

"Wanna go closer?" She asked, after the water rushed out to the ocean.

Eli answered by taking several steps forward, catching Madge off guard almost causing them to fall. They continued to stay in the water for several minutes before Eli decided he wanted to build a sand castle. Madge agreed and they walked hand and hand to the shore where the wet sand met dry. Madge let him do most of the work, picking up the nicer shells that lay on the beach for him to deem worthy to add to his masterpiece.

Madge had turned to her left to grab another shell when something, well someone, caught her attention. A woman, in what had to be the tiniest bikini if you asked for Madge's opinion, was conversing with Gale. Madge knows she shouldn't glare, but damn it she was jealous and hated it.

 _Friends, friends, friends_ , she repeated, rearranging herself so her back was to Gale and the woman.

"Don't worry, Madge," Eli said, patting the top of his makeshift castle with more sand. "Dad likes you lots."

Her jealousy dissipate, yet she felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She handed him a shell. "Oh really?"

Eli nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! He wants to ask you out. I heard him tell Grandma the other day!"

The butterflies were going crazy and the smile didn't leave her face especially when she looked back and the woman had left after Gale pointed and waved to the pair.

* * *

 

Eli napped between them on his Captain America beach towel, while Madge attempted to tan and Gale, on his side facing her, munched on watermelon from the cooler. Other families and couples started showing up as the morning progressed, so it would only be a matter of time for the beach to become crowded.

Madge turned to lay on her stomach when she noticed Gale had finished his watermelon and was staring at her. She blamed the sun when she felt herself grow hot but kept a calm exterior as she raised her eyebrow at him while stopping to stay on her side mimicking him. She watched his Adam's apple bobbed. She wasn't doing any better as she focused on his abs and the V cut leading to what was underneath his swimming trunks.

 _What would Johanna do_?

Flirt. Or try at least.

"Like what you see?" she asked, propping herself on her elbows.

"I don't know. Do you?" He quipped back, raising his arm to flex it. _Damn him_. Madge reached across Eli to push Gale forcing him to land on his back with a laugh. She shook her head when he returned to his previous position. He had a mischievous look in his eye Madge has seen Eli sport many times since meeting father and son months ago. It was then Madge realized she didn't know what happened to Eli's mother. _Where was his mom?_

Based on Gale's expression, she vocalized the question. She was mortified and began apologizing.

Gale waved her off. "Honestly, it's fine." He took a deep breath, his eyes trained on Eli. "Her name was Kelsey. We met in college at a friend's birthday party. We didn't date until our senior year and right before graduation she told me she was pregnant. I was scared but excited if that makes sense and she was the same way. We graduated and moved into an apartment not too far from the shop. She had Eli in February. Few weeks later, I had just dropped off Eli to spend the day at my mom's when I went back to the apartment to find all her things gone. She left a note basically saying she couldn't be there with me and Eli anymore. I haven't heard from her since."

"What about her family?" _Would they try to take Eli?_ , she thought.

"She never talked about her parents, only her grandmother. Anyway, I filed for full custody of Eli so if she came back, there's really nothing she can do."

There was such a finality to his statement, Madge knew it was best not to ask anything else. They were quiet for several moments. Madge watched the way Gale ran his hand through Eli's black locks. She smiled when Gale remarked it was time for a haircut.

"You know, I figured when I asked you out it wouldn't be after something that serious."

Madge let out a breath. Her heart was racing as he stared at her, waiting.

"As long as you ask me," she stated quietly, leaning toward him.

"Madge, do—"

He was interupted by the biggest yawn a five-year-old could only make. Gale cursed under his breath causing Madge to shush him while Eli slowly sat up and stretched, his sleepy green eyes adjusting to the brightness. She couldn't be mad at him if she tried as she plopped his baseball hat on his head along with his sunglasses. Eli smiled in thanks while Gale put a straw in a juice pouch for him. The young boy sighed after taking a few sips.

"Alright bud?" Gale asked, sitting up with him, Madge following suit.

"Yup!" he replied, making sure to pop the "p". Eli looked to Madge, who stretched her legs out in front of her. "Did Dad ask you for a date yet?"

Gale barked out a laugh, shaking his head. Madge rolled her eyes with a smile at him over Eli's head. "No, but I'm sure he will. Soon," she added.

"Will you say yes?"

Madge caught Gale's eye. He stared at her with such intensity she couldn't look away, then again she didn't want to.

"Yes," she nodded. "I will."

* * *

 

Returning from the beach, Madge went inside her house to retrieve Cooper, who followed Eli into their backyard. She stood next to Gale on the steps as Eli sat and hugged Cooper to his chest. Madge managed to snap a picture documenting the moment. Gale rolled his eyes as she gushed over it and proclaimed she was going it put it on her Instagram.

Opening the app, she saw that she had many likes and comments from a photo she posted earlier in the day.

"You have become very popular," she mused, tilting her phone to show Gale. The photo was of the three at the beach that a passerby was kind enough to take for them. Eli, arms in the air, had been picked up by Gale to rest against his left hip while Madge let Gale wrap an arm around her and brought her closer to his side. Most of the comments were of the " _how cute!_ " variety and fire emojis from Johanna ( _Love the bikini ;) you two going out yet?!_ ) followed by those agreeing with Johanna and asking the same.

"What can I say?" Gale sighed. "I'm extremely handsome."

Locking the phone and pocketing it, Madge groaned, rolled her eyes and made to walk away, but Gale quickly grabbed her around the waist. To say the least, she was surprised to find how close they were, but that didn't stop her from gripping his biceps. He seemed hesitant, so Madge decided to get the ball rolling.

"Ask me," she whispered, the butterflies returning.

" _Wouldyouliketogoonadatewithme_?" he rushed. He cursed quietly, resting his forehead against hers for a moment as she giggled. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she waited. He cleared his throat. "Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Madge nodded."Yes."

Eli cheered from where he stood at the bottom of the steps, Cooper wagging his tail next to him. "Finally!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was the explanation on Kelsey vague or was it vague? *Sighs*
> 
> Comments/kudos are welcome! 
> 
> You can also stop by my tumblr to say hi! -> lightning5


	5. July

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is late. Writer's block is no joke. Any mistakes are my own.

"I love you so much right now," Madge said in awe. "Shit. Did I say that out loud?"

Gale laughed. "Yeah, but I'll let it slide. Just this once," he added, handing her the blankets while he carries the picnic blanket and tarp.

 _Cinespia_ is one of Los Angeles well-known outdoor movie screenings and Madge has always wanted to go but never had the time for it. So as Gale drove closer to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, the first date nervousness fell away while her excitement grew. To top it all off, Gale was able to get tickets for _Back to the Future_ , her favorite movie.

_"How'd you know?" Madge practically squealed as she delicately held the tickets._

_"Easy. I asked Johanna," he shrugged, nonchalantly. "And sometimes you say Great Scott which Eli has started repeating."_

Finding a spot near the front, they laid the tarp and the blanket on the grass before sitting down. Madge looked around the crowd of people eagerly waiting for the sun to set. She found herself smiling as she looked toward the mausoleum being used for the projection. She turned toward Gale when he cleared his throat, his arm sweeping over the food he laid out in front of them. Turkey sandwiches were arranged on a large plate while slices watermelon and baby carrots were in their own Tupperware containers. The water and soda bottles were in the basket while the bags of chips (she spotted Doritos Ranch, another favorite) were next to the plate.

"Dinner has been prepared by Chef Eli and I. But if you find a booger or two, they're Eli's, I swear. "

Madge pushed against his shoulder. "Don't be gross, Gale."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I made him wash his hands when he did."

She shook her head at him as he smirked at her. She let herself lean into his side, his arm secured around her waist. Lightly pressing her fingers against his chin so he faced her, she kissed him. She wasn't one for PDA but she let herself get caught in the moment. She smiled as she ended the kiss for Gale looked stunned and yes, it was definitely payback for their first kiss just a week ago.

* * *

_Madge brought the last plate to the sink when Gale came back from tucking Eli into bed with Cooper following after them. Seeing that her dog hadn't returned, she assumed he found a spot in Eli's room to curl up._

_Before she could start the water, Gale grabbed her hand and tugged her away._

_"Just leave them there. I'll get to them in a bit."_

_"But Gale—"_

_He got her to stop talking by kissing her. She was surprised if the squeak she let out was any indication. His kiss was soft and Madge couldn't help but respond because_ it was happening _._ She's making out with Gale Hawthorne _. As Johanna would say,"fucking finally."_

_She shivered when he brought his right hand to the nape of her neck. Nearly moaned when the other hand found its way under her shirt pressing against the small of her back. Running her hands up his arms to his broad shoulders, Madge was content to keep going, but Gale was slowing down. With a pang of disappointment, Madge let her eyes flutter open, but that didn't stop her from sighing._

_"Wow."_

* * *

Watching the credits roll, Madge was hesitant to move from her spot against Gale's chest. The remnants of their dinner was already put away having finished halfway through the movie. And yes maybe she did let Gale pull her back so she could sit between his legs, her back against his chest with his arms wrapped around her making her feel warm and content.

 _Sue me_ , she had thought as she felt his lips against her neck. Gale had been rather affectionate through out the night which was something she wasn't used to but didn't mind at all.

She understood that he was very guarded because it was his way of protecting Eli. When she moved into the neighborhood, she remembered seeing him leaving for work or play with Eli, but he never approached her until Eli ran up to her when she was walking Cooper, making her think he didn't want anything to do with her. But she had been wrong and she was okay with it.

They headed home after, Gale pulling up into his driveway. He seemed hesitant as he killed the engine.

"You okay?" She asked, unbuckling her seatbelt as she faced him. She watched as he nodded before taking a deep breath.

"Do you want to go to mine for a bit?" Seeing the surprise look on her face, Gale added, "Or yours! I just...damn—"

"Gale, relax," she interrupted, grabbing onto his arm. Seeing how worked up he was getting made her want to laugh but she held it in. "We can go to yours."

They found themselves cuddled on the living room couch whispering while the T.V. was on serving as background noise. Gale informed her Eli was staying at Hazelle's, so whispering wasn't necessary but that didn't stop them. She picked her head off his chest while he looked up with his eyebrows raised in question.

"Your heart's beating really fast."

"I have a very gorgeous woman on top of me," Gale murmured back, causing her to laugh and blush. "Can you blame me?"

"Nope." She scooted up and straddled him, letting him place his hands on her hips. "You're kinda cute too."

"Oh, thank you," he quipped with a smile, bringing her down so they were chest to chest. The intensity of his stare made Madge even more aroused and desperate for some friction. She grounded herself against him, their lips moving against each other.

"Gale," she panted when his lips trailed down her neck. His grip on her hips tightened and suddenly Madge found herself on the air for Gale turned and stood up with Madge clinging to him.

"Bedroom," he stated and began walking toward the hallway. She felt him groan as she nibbled on his ear. Before they could get to through the door, Madge could hear a song begin to play.

"Is that Taylor Swift?"

Gale stopped. "Yeah, shit...hold on." Using his left arm to hold her up, Gale reached into his back pocket for his phone. "It's Posy's ringtone. Hello? Hey, bud. What's wrong you can't sleep?" He walked over to the bed gently lowering her on it before sitting next to her. "Ah, well do you want me to get you? No? You sure? Okay. Hmm? Oh, we had a good time. But you should go to sleep buddy. I can tell you about the movie tomorrow when I pick you up, how about that? Alright. I love you, Eli. Sweet dreams."

Madge watched as he ended the call and sighed. "I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay," she insisted. "I should probably go home."

She made to stand up but he tugged her back into his side.

"You could still stay. We can just sleep."

"Sleep, huh?" she teased. Then without a warning, she let out a yawn. Gale laughed as he got up to walk over to his dresser, pulling out a plain gray shirt and a pair of boxers.

Being the gentleman that he is, he left the room with his pajama pants so she could change. She decided to just wear the shirt since it covered the goods. The boxers were folded and on top of his dresser along with her bra, shirt and jeans, when she called to him. He came in wearing only his pajama pants and Madge was ready to start where they left off.

Instead, she watched as he turned down the bed, held the blankets up so she could scoot in before joining her.

"No funny business," he murmured, spooning her and placing another kiss behind her ear.

"No promises," she giggled, closing her eyes. She felt him lean back to turn off the light before resuming his position. She sighed happily, curling her arm around the one holding her and promptly fell asleep.


	6. July (II)

Johanna stared at Madge with a baffled expression.

“What?” Suddenly, Madge felt self-conscious and set her hamburger down.

“You’re telling me that a _phone call_ stopped you two from having sex?”

Madge rolled her eyes. “That’s all you got from what I’ve told you?”

It was Friday afternoon, almost a week since the date with Gale, and Madge was able to tell Johanna, who had been out of town for a photo shoot, all about Saturday night. Well, Johanna had breezed through Cinna’s studio and charmed the man to let Madge off for the rest of the afternoon. They grabbed burgers from In-N-Out and headed to Johanna’s home near the beach.

“It was our first date, Jo—”

“So? That didn’t stop you from sleeping in his bed!” Johanna teased. She let out a chuckle when Madge blushed.

Waking up to find Gale holding her as a child would a teddy bear made Madge feel like the luckiest girl on the West Coast—hell _in the entire world_. She remembered how she fell back asleep only to wake up what felt like moments later to him gently pressing kisses along her neck, trailing down—

“Yo!” Madge blinked as Johanna continued waving her hand in front of her face. “I know you’re thinking about lover boy ‘cause you’re turning redder by the second,” she teased, grabbing a small handful of French fries after Madge pushed her hand away. They continued eating, situated on the coach as they watched the afternoon news. Johanna broke the silence when the broadcast went to commercial.

“I will say that he and the little man make you happy. I haven’t seen you this way in a long time.”

Madge looked over, trying to swallow the lump that formed in her throat. They’ve known each other for years, having met while Madge interned for Cinna during her senior year at a photo shoot. They just clicked and Madge was grateful to have her in her life. Johanna knew about her mother and was the first person she called from the hospital when it happened. Needless to say, Madge hasn’t gotten over that, who could? Losing a family member is the most heart wrenching thing to ever happen to anyone.

“Thanks,” she whispered, letting Johanna put an arm around her, hamburgers forgotten.

“Still won’t stop me from ripping his balls off if he ever hurts you,” she quipped, causing Madge to laugh as she wiped at her eyes.

* * *

When Madge came home, she found Gale and Eli playing catch in their front yard. Eli waved excitedly, waiting until she parked in her driveway and got out of the car to tell her all about his day, while Gale trailed behind the pair. Even though she was listening to Eli’s account of going to the bakery with Peeta and getting a new baseball hat—“The San Francisco Giants. Uncle Peeta says they’re the best.”—she can feel Gale’s gaze on them, probably not amused by his son’s new team.

She sets her purse down as Cooper wags his tail and tries to stand on his hind legs which makes Eli laugh every time.

“Are we going on a walk?” Eli asked, prompting Cooper to stand at attention, his big brown eyes staring up at his owner. Gale shook his head.

“You weren’t supposed to say the magic word yet, buddy.”

“Oops! Sorry, Madge,” said Eli, his hands covering his mouth but she knew he was smiling.

“It’s okay. Could you get his leash for me, please?”

At that, Eli ran to the living room where she kept Cooper’s things in a small basket. She turned to Gale. “Hi.”

He leaned down and gave her a kiss. “Hey. I doubt your day was as exciting as his?”

“I wish,” she sighed, leaning up for another before Eli came back.

* * *

During the walk, Eli decided he wanted to hold Madge’s hand while Gale handled Cooper, who kept up with Gale’s stride unless he smelled things on the grass or sidewalk. It was on their way back that Madge noticed Eli became rather quiet.

“Tired, bud?”

“A little,” he replied, attempting to hide his yawn. “I have a question.”

Madge nodded. “Okay. Shoot.”

“Are you and Dad together now?”

Taken aback, Madge looked down at Eli, his big green eyes staring back at her. “We are. Are you okay with that?”

He nods so vigorously that for a second Madge is afraid he’s going to hurt himself. “Uncle Rory says you’ll be my mom. I’ve never had one.”

 _Was today Make Madge Cry Day?,_ she thought as she squeezed Eli’s hand. “Well, your dad and I are dating but that doesn’t mean I’m your mom just because Uncle Rory says so.” She’ll have a talk with him soon enough. “It’s up to you and your dad,” she added, when Eli looked down at his feet as they continued to walk. They came to a stop between their houses; Gale had quietly passed them so he could stand on his grass with Cooper at his feet, lying on his stomach. Madge glanced at him before crouching down in front of Eli. She could tell he was confused and unaware that Eli was going to bring the subject up. She tickled his stomach, getting him to laugh and look at her in the eye.

“I think you’d be a good mom,” he whispered, his cheeks reddening. Madge pressed her lips together to stop from practically sobbing, because here’s this little boy, who is always happy and laughing, asking for the one thing neither of them had, and all she can do is tug him closer so she can hug him tightly with a promise of trying her best.

* * *

“Did you know he was going to ask me that?”

All four of them were sitting on the Hawthorne’s sofa watching Disney’s version of Hercules. Eli had fall asleep just a few minutes ago, resting against Gale’s chest with Madge on his left and Cooper beside her. Madge quietly told Gale what happened and he was just as surprised as she was.

He blew a breath out. “I didn’t. But remind me to kick Rory’s ass the next time we see him.”

“Well, I was just going to talk to him, but your plan’s good too.”

Gale kissed her temple. “I think Eli’s right.” She looked up at him questioningly. “You would be a good mom.”


	7. August

Gale's planned ass-kicking for Rory turned into a game of tag and ended with the middle Hawthorne brother in a headlock while the youngest took to recording the whole thing. Vic still had tears in his eyes when Madge finally had enough of Rory yelling uncle and ordered them inside where Posy and Eli were eating their bowls of ice cream at the kitchen table.

Rory was the last to follow his brothers into the house because he stopped in front of Madge with a sheepish expression she's seen on Gale's face many times that she wanted to laugh but restrained herself as the twenty-two-year-old apologized, not only for Eli hearing him say those things but for saying them in the first place.

Madge nodded. "Apology accepted." She thumps him hard on the back causing him to wince as they walked inside. "Don't let it happen again."

* * *

  
"I need a drink."

Madge gave Johanna an exasperated look as she made sure she had everything in her clutch. "You already had one."

Johanna rolled her eyes. "Well, I need another."

"How about when we're actually at the bar? We don't want you falling over before you meet him," Madge teased, ushering her friend out the front door.

"Fine," Johanna groaned, stomping, as much as one could in heels, across the driveway to Gale's. "I'll ask lover boy for one."

But as soon as Gale opened the door, he promptly stated no.

"What do you mean no? Give me alcohol to survive what is going to be a terrible night."

Gale scoffed, locking the door behind him. "It's not going to be terrible. What's your problem?"

"Her problem," Madge started, with a sly grin. "Is that she hasn't been on a real date in years."

"I've been on dates," Johanna protested as they all got into Gale's car. Madge raised her eyebrows at her friend. The so-called dates were more hookups then anything due to her busy work schedule. That was the case until recently when she confessed to Madge and Katniss during girls night that she was ready for something more. So, Madge asked Gale about any of his guy friends only to have him remind her of a conversation they had a few months ago.

_"When was this?" Madge whisper-exclaimed, causing Gale to laugh. Eli had fallen asleep against her side._

_"A few months ago. I remember 'cause you were drunk texting me." At this, he adopted a valley girl accent. "Like, OMG Gale you are so hot—"_

" _No I didn't!" Madge laughed, tossing a pillow at him._

 _But he continued to recite the so-called texts until she slapped her hand over his mouth and managed to not jostle Eli_.

" _Are you going to stop?" Gale shrugged, his eyes wide. Before she can let go, he pressed his lips to her hand._

_"You did ask if I had any single friends and I told you about Darius—"_

_Madge gasped. "Darius would be perfect! Can you imagine their babies? We should hurry and set them up."_

_"Slow your roll, babe."_

Johanna remained quiet throughout the ride to the bar, only inquiring where Eli was tonight.

"Katniss and Peeta agreed to have him sleep over at their place tonight," Madge answered. What Johanna didn't need to know was that Katniss demanded text updates throughout the night.

Gale pulled the car into the lot and they made their way inside, a recent pop song being sung by a slightly drunk guy. Madge took Johanna's hand because she was sure the other girl was ready to bolt as soon as possible.

_Madge, 10:24 p.m.: They're arguing about Uptown Funk. I can hear the wedding bells in the distance._

_Katniss, 10:25 p.m.: Lol. Ordering save-the-dates. I'm thinking April?_

"He's crazy," Johanna yelled over the music and cheers Darius was receiving from the crowd.

About an hour and a half after arguing about _Uptown Funk_ , the D.J. called Darius up to the stage and Johanna groaned when the song started, while Madge cackled beside her.

"He's doing it better than that guy from earlier!" Madge laughed as Darius gyrated across the tiny stage, earning a few catcalls from the group of women dancing in front of him while Gale wolf-whistled from Madge's other side. She bumped Johanna's shoulder to the beat of the song, getting her friend to smile and shake her head up at the man finishing the last part of the song with the crowd's help.

Once the song was over, Darius made his way back to the table, returning Madge's high-five and accepting the full bottle of beer from Gale.

"So, what did you think?" Madge knew the question was directed at Johanna, who was pursing her lips with an raised eyebrow as she stared at the redhead. Madge watched as Darius leaned closer to Johanna as she smirked, turning her head slightly to take a sip of her drink and Madge was mentally screaming at the whole scene.

"You did alright." Darius pumped his fist much to their amusement. Madge felt Gale snort against her neck. "Can't change the fact that I hate that song."

* * *

It wasn't until a week later that Madge did let out a scream that caused her boys to come running to the living room, Cooper barking.

"What is it, Madge?" Eli asked, joining her on the couch. "Did you see a spider?"

Madge tugged him closer, swaying their bodies side to side causing Eli to laugh with her. "No, I'm just happy!"

Gale raised his eyebrow, eyeing her phone. "What is it?"

"Jo sent me a text saying not to freak out and to check Instagram and look—"

It was a photo of Darius smiling at the camera, wearing an apron in Johanna's kitchen and presenting her with a plate of food. The caption read, _He can cook? Oh boy._

"Well look at you, little miss matchmaker," Gale joked, tossing the phone back so Madge could bombard Johanna with texts.

"Watch out, bud. You might be next," he added to Eli, who gave his father a confused look as he rubbed Cooper's belly at their feet.

"I don't think so," he said. "I have school soon."


	8. September

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning: there's smut towards the end.

“Hey, Madge?”

Madge looked up from her sketch pad to see that Eli stopped coloring a picture of Iron Man.

“Yeah?” she asked, setting the pad away from her as Eli fidgeted with his crayon.

“I’m nervous about school tomorrow,” he confessed. He looked up with those heartbreaking green eyes and Madge sympathized.

“It’s okay to be nervous,” she said. “But you’re going to have so much fun! And Dylan will be in your class and you’ll learn lots of things. It’s going to be great.”

Eli looked relieved. Before he went back to coloring, he asked, “Will you drop me off with Dad?”

“Of course!” She titled her head to the side. “Am I allowed to embarrass you and take pictures?”

He giggled. “No pictures!”

“Yes pictures! We have to send one to your grandma, Posy and the boys…”

“Everyone!” he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air causing Madge to laugh. “Okay, okay. I’ll allow two pictures.”

They shook on it.

* * *

“I think you’re more nervous than Eli,” Gale remarked as they snagged a parking spot in front of the kindergarten yard. Madge stopped bouncing her foot with a scowl worthy of Katniss, while Eli smiled from the backseat. It seemed that Eli’s nervousness from the night before transferred over to her this morning and she was trying her best not to show it, but of course Gale noticed right away. _Damn him_.

“We all can’t be calm and collected like you,” she replied, helping Eli out of his car seat, while Gale came around the car, with that damn smirk she hated.

“You should have seen him last year,” masculine voice quipped behind them. Turning, Madge found Finnick with a pregnant Annie and Dylan. “Between him and Annie, he was a disaster.”

Gale grumbled under his breath. “Finnick,” Annie scolded gently before leading the small group inside the gate, Eli and Dylan eagerly walking in step with her. “I remember someone sobbing about his little boy all grown up when we got home.”

“Honey! You swore you’d never tell!”

Madge grinned. “I think I want to hear all about last year now.”

Madge ended up taking more than the two pictures that were promised because Eli wanted to take one with her right before going inside the classroom with the other kids.

“Are you sure?” Madge asked, squatting in front of him. “We did make a deal.”

“I know, but I changed my mind,” he stated firmly, gripping the straps of his backpack. “I took one with Dad and I want one with you.”

Madge smiled at his reasoning. “Alright, mister. Give me a hug!”

Eli almost had them topple over with the force of his hug, which Madge laughing as she squeezed him. Pulling back, Madge stood up to her full height, keeping one arm around Eli and both turned to Gale who held up the iPhone.

* * *

Madge practically banged on the front door. Taking a deep breath, she could hear footsteps on the other side coming closer. The door swung open and there Katniss stood, wearing a hoodie and pair of sweats.

“I got here as soon as I could,” Madge started as Katniss stepped back to let her in. “L.A. traffic hasn’t gotten any better I can say that for sure.” They settled on the living room couch. Madge faced her friend, who remained quiet. “So, what’s going on?”

Madge waited patiently as Katniss tried to find the words and wrung her hands. “Peeta—he. Uh. He proposed to me. Last night at dinner.”

Madge stared because _holy shit_. “What did you say? Did you—?”

Katniss shook her head and Madge’s eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything. She knew better to wait for Katniss to explain herself.

“He didn’t expect me to answer right away. He said he’d give me time because, fuck, he knows me so well and that I’ll overanalyze the whole thing.” At this, her eyes watered and Madge pulled her into her side and Katniss doesn’t fight it. “He knows how fucked up I am about marriage.” Madge knew too. She remembered coming back to the dorm after class to find her roommate, on the phone arguing with her mother and the weekend trips back home to spend time with her sister Prim. The phone argument had been the first time Madge had seen Katniss cry and she had a feeling this would be the second.

“So, he really did put it all on the table huh?”

Katniss scoffed, reached forward and picked up the velvet box that was on the coffee table.

“Pretty much, yeah. Take a look.”

Madge kept her arm around Katniss, checking out the open box and let out a long whistle. “I don’t know much engagement rings but that’s a _damn nice ring_.”

“Yeah,” Katniss agreed with a watery laugh. “He said he started saving for it after graduation.”

Madge shook her head good naturedly. “That boy. What do you want to tell him?”

Katniss took a moment, looking around at the room. This home she created with Peeta. “I’d say yes.” She looked at Madge with tears in her eyes. “I’m just—just scared.”

“I know,” Madge whispered, rubbing circles on her back. “But you and Peeta are _not your parents_. And as cheesy as this is going to sound: Don’t let what happened in the past dictate your future. You deserve to be happy, Kat.”

The tears have spilled over and Katniss is shaking her head as though she doesn’t want to believe her. “I’ve got you,” Madge said as Katniss rested her head against her shoulder and her hands fisted the back of Madge’s shirt, trying to hold it in. “C’mon let it out.” After several minutes, Katniss calmed down and pulled away from Madge to wipe her tears.

Madge handed her a tissue.

“God, I hate crying,” she said quietly, balling the tissue up in her hand.

“But you feel better, don’t you?”

Katniss nodded, falling against the cushions while Madge followed suit. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” A pause. “Katniss Mellark? Katniss Everdeen-Mellark? What do you think?”

Katniss rolled her eyes as Madge grinned. “Madge Hawthorne. Madge Undersee-Hawthorne.”

Madge blushed and shoved Katniss away from her. “Hey—!”

* * *

 

Madge was too engrossed in the dress she was helping Cinna work on that she didn’t notice her phone vibrating like crazy on her desk until her boss pointed it out.

“Must be important,” he joked, handing it to her after seeing who was calling. Madge shushed him before answering.

“Hey babe,” she sighed, sitting down on the stool in front of the mannequin.

  
“Hey,” Gale replied, in an amused tone as she has never called him babe before. She realized it as soon as it was out of her mouth. _Oh, well_. “You plan on coming home anytime soon?”

She swiveled in her chair to see what time it was on her computer: 7:43pm. “Shit. I’m still at work and totally lost track of the time. Sorry.”

She could hear Gale chuckling on the other end. “It’s okay. Cooper already got his walk and I made dinner. Eli’s just waiting on you to watch a movie with him. Apparently, I’ve been replaced,” he added with a sigh, causing Madge to giggle, which Cinna raised an eyebrow at.She waved him away as she began cleaning up.

“I’m sure he’ll let you join us watching _Winter Soldier_ —again.”

“Yeah, probably. So, we’ll see you soon?” Madge looked over at Cinna, who mouthed at her to _go home already_ and waved at her toward the door. She smiled as she began cleaning her station.

“Heading out right now.”

“Okay, see you in a bit.”

Ending the call, she looked over at Cinna who had a smile on his face. “What?” she asked suddenly embarrassed. Her boss shook his head.

“Nothing. We got a lot done today so I don’t want to see you here over the weekend,” he said, playfully pointing his finger at her.

“That goes the same for you,” Madge retorted, grabbing her bag. “See you Monday?”

“You got it. Now get out of here. Your man’s waiting,” he teased.

* * *

She pulled into her own driveway and looked at the house she rarely spent time in anymore. With only the porch light on, she thought the rest of the house looked sad and cold. She sighed as she walked over to Gale’s, noticing how different it made her feel compared to her own house. The lights were on, the living room windows were open to let the breeze in and she could hear Eli throwing the squeaky toy for Cooper to chase. Early when Gale asked if she was coming home, she knew he meant his place. Because _it was home_ and it made her heart swell just at the thought. She wondered how the boys would feel if she brought up moving in with them. Would that be too fast? Too much for the father and son? This was definitely something to discuss with Gale.

Unlocking the door, the first one to reach her was Cooper, squeaky toy in his mouth and his tail wagging, with Eli following.

“You’re home!” Wrapping his arms around her in a quick hug. “That means we can watch the movie!”

“Not so fast, Eli,” Gale said, walking in from the kitchen. “You have to let her eat first.”

Eli visibly deflated. “Okay. But don’t take too long?” He did have a 9 o’clock bedtime.

“I promise. You can go ahead at start it. I’ll join you, okay?”

At that, Eli took off to the living room. “Okay!” he called back. “C’mon Cooper!”

The couple waited until Cooper disappeared into the other room before saying their hellos which was a really long kiss with Gale cupping her face. They pulled back and Madge sighed for the second time although this sigh was very satisfied.

“Maybe, I should come home late more often,” she teased, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He hummed while nuzzling her neck. “You might get punishments if it comes to that,” he whispered in her ear. She shivered.

“As long as we have a safe word,” she retorted with a sly smile as he choked on air.

* * *

Right before nine, Eli had fallen asleep on the couch so Gale easily scooped him up while Madge closed the windows, removed the DVD from the player and returned it to its case. She turned the T.V. off and rubbed Cooper’s head as the dog looked up at her sleepily from his bed before curling up to settle in for the night.

Madge made her way to Gale’s bedroom and waited for him to join her. She settled in after changing into a long shirt and sleep shorts when he closed the door softly behind him.

“Are you tired?” he asked, stripping off his jeans and shirt, launching them into the laundry basket by the dresser.

 _Well, not anymore_. “Just a little bit,” she said as he turned down his side of the bed and got in.

They’ve had many sleepovers since the first one several months ago. At the beginning, it would only be when Eli has his own sleepover at his grandma’s house (which were rare and they really didn’t do anything besides sleep) but once Eli insisted she stay to watch movies with him after dinner and asked if she could make chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast the next morning did she start to stay over with Eli’s acknowledgement. They were always careful not to let things escalate but now Madge was having a hard time.

She was stressed that much was true. Designing a dress for an up-and-coming actress for their first Hollywood premiere next month was nerve-wracking. Having stayed late tonight to finish, most of the stress had melted away and they just need the young woman to come in for a fitting. She knew running your own business, as Gale does, could be stressful as well.

Propping herself up on his chest, she reached up to place a kiss on his lips. He responded immediately, guiding her onto her back, their lips pressing against each other. She sighed into his mouth as he settled between her thighs. He pulled away only a little bit because she had her hands in his hair and wouldn’t let him move any further.

“Still tired?” he asked breathlessly, slowing rocking his hips into her. She shook her head, pulling him down so she could kiss him and run her hands up and down his torso. He bunched up her shirt and she rose to help him take it off her. He doesn’t take his eyes off her as he sat back on his legs to get her shorts and underwear off, even making her laugh when he tossed them toward the laundry basket.

“I love seeing you like this.”

“Yeah?” Madge propped up on her elbows, nudging his boxer briefs, close to where she could see how hard he was. “I’ll say the same once you take them off.”

Gale grinned wolfishly. “I have to do something first.”

Madge raised an eyebrow. “Oh? What’s that—” Gale brought his head down between her legs. “ _Oh, okay—uh yes. Right—right there. Gale!_ ”

He picked his head up to shush her, but she pushed him back down. He sucked on her clit and Madge was ready to scream, but knew she couldn’t, not wanting to wake up the two other occupants in the house. Her orgasm washes over her and Gale continued to lap at her as she calmed down.

“Come here,” she panted, tasting herself on his lips. She tugged on his boxer briefs as low as she could before letting him take care of it. Wrapping her hand around him, she grinned at his grunt, only to let a quiet moan out when he sucked her nipple into his mouth.

“Hold on,” he groaned, pulling away to lean over and grab a condom from his nightstand. Once the condom is on, he gently rubbed his tip against her opening and at her urging he pushed forward.

She knew he was trying to keep the pace slow, but she didn’t want that at the moment. So, she wrapped her legs around his hips, using the heel of her foot to press against his butt cheek and urged him to move a little bit faster.

“ _Madge_ ,” he whispered, his lips pressed against her neck. She clenched her inner muscles in response.

“ _Faster, Gale. I need to—_ ”

“Okay.” He picked up his speed, holding her hips slightly up and that has Madge seeing stars and Gale followed after three more thrusts. He doesn’t collapse on top of her, but they’re still chest-to-chest, he’s placing kisses along her neck and face before pulling out and getting rid of the condom in the bathroom. Madge doesn’t move to cover up because she’s so relaxed. She opened her eyes when he returned with a damp washcloth.

“Need some help?” he teased, getting back on the bed.

“Yes, my boyfriend decided I needed two orgasms and now I don’t want to move.”

“Sounds like a keeper,” he said in a serious tone, nudging her legs apart so he could gently clean up. Tossing the washcloth, he laid down beside her and she cuddled up to him, kissing his chest.

“Round two later?” she asked, sleepily.

He hummed, grabbing a sheet to drape it over them as she closed her eyes. “Oh, most definitely.”


	9. October

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting this without editing, so any mistakes are my own!

On Friday, Gale surprised Eli with a trip to the Halloween store after school. He’d rather not procrastinate finding the perfect costume and since Madge would be working late again (“Making some alterations to the dress,” she had told him on the phone), Gale figured why not today. Excited, Eli held tight to Gale’s hand as they walked down the aisles. Eli talked about his day and Gale learned that Dylan will be a pirate with Finnick (“Like Jack Sparrow!”).

“So, any ideas on what you want to be this year?” Gale asked, knowing perfectly well that Eli would choose Captain America. His love for the superhero was very obvious.

“Ummm. . . I don’t know.”

Gale did a double-take. “You don’t know? I thought you’d want to be Captain America.”

“I’m thinking I want to be something else,” Eli shrugged as they continued to walk, turning down another aisle to find the children’s costumes. “And I want you and Madge to be characters from it too.”

“What if I already have a costume?”

“Dad,” he started, sounding exasperated. He stopped in the middle of the aisle to look up at Gale. “You can’t be a baseball player every year.”

Gale had to smile because it was true that he was a baseball player every year. He even dressed Eli as a baseball player for his first Halloween. Needless to say, maybe it was time to break tradition.

“Alright, what do we need to get?”

Eli thought about it and looked around the aisle they were in that consisted of children’s costumes. “Do they sell hoverboards here?”

It took Gale a moment to understand what Eli was asking before it sunk in. Eli wanted to be Marty McFly which made Gale wonder what characters his son wanted him and Madge to be.

“I’m not sure. Did you want to be Marty from 1985 or 2015?” Accuracy was important after all, especially if they were to dress up as characters from Madge’s favorite movie.

“Can’t I be both?”

So they didn’t end up getting any costumes that day, Gale realizing that it would probably be less expensive to check Eli’s dresser for the clothes that he needed. He enlisted the help of Madge, because if she was going to be a part of the group costume she had the right to be let it on the plan.

“This is going to be awesome!” she said excited as soon as Gale mentioned it before dinner. It was his turn to cook and he decided to take it easy and made pasta. Madge sat adjacent to Eli, who was beaming at her reaction, when Gale stepped out of the kitchen with the food.

“I think he should be Biff,” she continued, pointing a finger at Gale. “What do you think?”

“Yes!” Eli giggled at the same time Gale feigned offense as he sat down opposite of Madge.

“I think you should be Biff,” Gale retorted, scooping a spoonful for Eli as she helped the young boy with his napkin, before doing the same.

“I’m going to be Doc Brown. Right, Eli?”

“Sorry, Dad. But she beat you to it,” he said eagerly, nodding his head as he grabbed his fork. Gale shot her a playful glare while she beamed triumphantly.

* * *

Wednesday was usually Madge’s day off and today was no exception. She’d walk over and have breakfast with her boys before Gale went to work and dropped Eli off at school. Cooper would get his morning walk and she’d run her errands before heading to the school in the afternoon to pick up Eli.

“Hi, Annie! How are you?” Madge greeted the other woman, who was sitting at the lunch table in front of the classroom. Annie gave her a tired smile, rubbing her pregnant belly.

“Honestly? Ready for this baby to be born,” she laughed, patting the bench next to her and Madge took that as her cue to sit since they had time before the bell rang.

“It’ll happen soon, right?” Madge was told the due date was early November and today was October twenty-first, so not long now. “She’ll be here in no time.”

They continued to converse, especially when Annie brought up Halloween costumes and her fear of possibly not being able to dress up on account of bring life into the world. Madge promised she’d save her some chocolate if that happens. She also mentioned her group costume and Annie gushed over how cute Eli will look on that day as Marty McFly and laughed when Madge proudly stated she would be Doc despite the fact that Gale kept trying to claim it would be his costume.

The bell rang and the kids came out of the classroom along with the teacher, Mrs. Griffiths, who kept an eye on each student making sure their parent was indeed there. Dylan and Eli walked fast when they saw Annie and Madge both eager to go home. Saying their good-byes, Madge walked with Eli hand-in-hand to her car.

“Can we watch the movie as soon as we get home?” he asked, as Madge opened the door to the back seat and helped him get situated in his car seat. She clicked the seatbelt in as he gave her a pleading look and Madge had to smile at that even though her answer would be no.

“How about after homework?”

“Okay and we’re watching all three, right?”

“Let’s see how far we get until your dad gets home,” Madge reasoned, closing the door and making her way to the driver’s side.

Eli finished his homework in record time. Sure, it was just coloring and tracing letters, but majority of the time he would insist that he could do it later. Madge wasn’t buying it, so she reasoned with him: why not do it now so you have more time for other things? The first few times, he tried fighting it, but she was patient and sat with him at the table, waiting for him to pick up the pencil and start tracing. Gale was impressed and it was decided that Madge was in charge of homework time.

She was waiting on his chicken nuggets to cool when he call out that he finished and if they can start the movie.

“In a second, buddy,” she said, bringing his plate and a cup of milk to the table, with Cooper following next to her, hoping that something would fall for the plate. He slid his folder of to her so it was replaced with the plate and started digging in while she checked it over before putting it away in his backpack. “Slowly, please. I’ll put the movie on for you after you put the plate and cup in the sink!”

After that was said and done, Eli raced back into the living room and joined Madge on the couch, while Cooper lay at her feet. By the time Gale is able to come home, they had just started _Part II_ and Eli told his dad to hurry up so he quickly took his shoes over and snagged the seat next to his son, kissing the top of his head and reached over to give Madge a kiss on the lips as Doc Brown insisted that Marty has to do something about his kids.

* * *

_@m_undersee: If you’re going to trick-or-treat, why not do it in style? @gale_hawthorne8 #halloween2015 #BTTF_

“This is heavy,” Eli grunted, attempting to lift his pillowcase full of candy over his shoulder. When it became clear that the bag was getting full, he insisted he could carry it himself, despite Gale’s many attempts to hold it for him.

Their costumes were a complete success. Gale gave in and let Madge dress him as Biff, jeans with a tight white shirt showing off his biceps only to be covered with a gray jacket and his hair stylishly gelled back. He was too busy noticing himself to see Madge exit the bathroom with her blonde hair teased and wearing a white radiation suit complete with yellow gloves, tool belt and a stopwatch around her neck until she cleared her throat behind him.

“What do you think?” she asked, holding her arms out with a big smile on her face.

“You look amazing,” he chuckled, giving her a kiss and messing her hair up even more as she laughed. “Definitely pulled it off better than I could.”

“Well, duh. Is it weird that I find you very hot dressed as a wannabe bad boy?”

Gale smirked, but before he could lean down for another kiss, they were interrupted by a loud “Yuck!” from the doorway. With Cooper beside him, Eli was already dressed in his Marty McFly costume: jeans with a red shirt covered by a white button down followed by a jean jacket and red puffer vest.

“Well look who it is,” Gale said, with a pretend sneer, causing Eli to giggle and Madge to roll her eyes. Losing the sneer, he took Madge’s hand and ushered them out into the living room. This was the first Halloween not taking place at his mother’s home. Gale’s mother was at her friends’ Halloween party while his sibling had their own plans for the holiday. Gale wasn’t sure he was happy with the fact that Posy was now in high school and going to parties, even though his mother pointed out he was doing the same thing when he went to high school. Still, he told Posy to call him or Madge if she needed a ride home— _just in case_ —and she had rolled her eyes good-naturally and said okay.

Now it was near the end of the mapped out route and Eli’s bag was filled to the brim because most of the houses let him double dip into their candy bowls when he recited a line from the movie without much prompting while Madge and Gale watched from the walkways.

“Let me carry it, little man. We have to check it anyways,” Gale said, holding his hand out. Eli sighed gratefully as he took it. Eli was right, it was heavy. It’ll probably last for a few days at the least. Gale was known to steal a few no matter what time of day it was.

They received many compliments on their way home. It was obvious to Gale that Eli was getting a little irritated when they were stopped by others to gush over the costumes and Madge sensed it too and after sharing one look with Gale, she took the candy bag and he picked Eli up so he could carry him the one block home. All in all, it was a good night.

He passed the keys to Madge, who had taken her teased hair into bun, for her to open the door where Cooper was waiting for them to return. Eli lifted his head when he heard Cooper whining as Gale closed the door.

“Where’s my candy?” he asked, sleepily as Gale locked the door and followed Madge into the living room. Taking off her tool belt and gloves before she sat down in front of the coffee table, Madge replied, “I’m checking it and maybe you can have a few before bed?”

“Let’s see if he can make it,” Gale joked, laying Eli on the couch beside her. The little boy immediately turned onto his side and curled up, resting his head against her thigh. Madge chuckled at the sight.

“C’mon Biff, help me out.”

Carefully, she had emptied a small portion of candy from the pillowcase and was checking each piece for any sign of tampering. He sat on the floor across from her and couldn’t help but stare at her. She only noticed when she realized he wasn’t helping.

“Do I have something on my face?” she teased, tossing a Kit-Kat at him, which he managed to grab before it hit his chest. He wanted to say a lot of things. I’m in love with you being number one, but the thought terrified him. He thought he was in love before with Kelsey and was blindsided when she had enough and didn’t want anything to do with him or Eli. Since then, his feelings have been kept close to his chest not only to protect himself but Eli as well. Now being with Madge and seeing how well she is with Eli, reading bedtime stories to him or checking his candy like any parent would, Gale knew he was in love. He’ll tell her, but not right now.

Soon, he thought.

“Nothing,” he shrugged, eating the Kit-Kat after tossing the wrapper. She mimicked his shrug and he leaned over the coffee table, capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. Her eyes fluttered open as he pulled away and he can’t help but smile at her when she rolled her eyes, accused him of being distracting instead of helping. So for the rest of the night, he sorted through the candy with the woman he’s in love with while his son snored on the couch. Happy Halloween to him.


	10. November

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is in no way perfect, but I haven't updated in a while and I wanted to post it before I fell asleep.
> 
> Any mistakes are my own and enjoy!

Meeting Madge’s father didn’t go as horrible as Gale expected. Maybe it had to do with the _completely_ _unintentiona_ l use of Eli as a buffer. But, Mr. Undersee— “Edward or Ed is fine, Gale.”—was smitten with his son at dinner, not only surprising Gale, but Madge as well. She had been nervous throughout the week leading up to her father’s arrival, which didn’t help Gale’s nerves _at all_.

_“Can you relax?” Gale asked from his spot on her couch. He tried to put his feet up, but Eli gave his foot a sharp tap (“No shoes on the couch, Dad. You know the rules.”) before he continued helping Madge by dusting the side table._

_“No,” Madge sighed behind him. She was checking for any of Cooper’s toys, which she must have found because three brightly colored tennis balls go flying into the hallway with Cooper following at lightning speed. “This place needs to look perfect. It has to look like no one lives here.”_

_Gale turned and raised his eyebrows. “If we want to get technical—”_

_It was true. Madge spent most of her days and nights next door but now was not the time to bring it up and Gale knew this but he couldn’t help it. If looks could kill, Gale was already dead and Madge continued to glare as she came around the couch with her broom and dust pan. Eli escaped after Cooper a few seconds before, so he didn’t hear Gale’s comment._

_“Technically, we already discussed this. We’re both on the same page and we’re going to wait until Christmas to ask Eli what he thinks. If he says yes, I’ll move in when my lease is up. If he’s not okay with it, I’ll still be next door. And my father doesn’t know that, so I’m going to need you to not bring it up when he’s here. Get off your ass and help me clean,” she added, dumping the trash from the pan into the trash can._

_Gale got up and stopped her from grabbing the vacuum from the small closet by the kitchen. Gently, he turned her around so they could face each other. He wanted to apologize for bringing it up and stressing her out even more than she needed to be, but her father not knowing that she might move in with him made him pause._

_“Why doesn’t he know?”_

_Madge sighed. “I want to tell him in person and it’s not like he can do anything about it.”_

_“Because you’re a grown-ass woman?”_

_“Exactly.”_

Now, he was sitting at the table with Edward (he felt weird calling him Ed), enjoying the cup of coffee Madge placed in front of him. Eli insisted he could have a cup as well but they came to a compromise when Madge suggested tea. He could see the pair in the kitchen from his spot and he shook his head as Madge gave in and let Eli have a sip as they waited for the tea to brew. Edward seemed to be nice enough, complimenting Madge on her home and her latest fashion piece that made the headlines only a week ago, playing with Eli and his action figures, and talking business and sports with Gale. He answered Edward’s questions as well. They were the simple how long have you lived in the area? What do you do for a living? small talk, but Gale didn’t mind.

It was toward the end of the night when Edward was getting ready to leave that it pretty much fell apart if someone were to asked Gale. Luckily, Eli was in Madge’s room, tucked under a knitted blanket, fast asleep.

“Oh, before I forget…Betty says hello.”

There are a lot of Bettys in the world, but Gale knew this _Betty_ was someone Madge wasn’t a fan of. Gale was placing Eli’s action figures in his backpack and froze when Edward spoke. He turned to look at Madge’s reaction. It was subtle, but Gale saw her tense up. Edward didn’t notice or maybe he was pretending he didn’t notice. Madge quickly recovered, offering her own hello to Betty, and Gale sighed in relief as she walked her father out to his car. She was out there for a while. Maybe she was telling him about the moving in plan?

Madge came back, careful not to slam the front door shut like Gale knew she wanted to. “Well, that went well?” He meant it as a statement but it came out like a question.

“It was…until he mentioned _her_ ,” Madge said as she dragged herself over to him. He opened his arms and she fell against him, burying her head into his neck. “Still we did good, right?”

“We were amazing. The lasagna was so fantastic, I _need_ to know what sauce you used,” he joked, as they settled on the couch. He got a small smile, an eye-roll and a quick kiss for his trouble.

“Thank you,” she whispered, cupping his face. He turned and kissed the inside of her palm. “No problem.”

* * *

“Why is this so hard?” Katniss whined, throwing her hands up in the air. Madge stopped sketching from her spot on the couch to look over to the seating chart on the coffee table.

“Because you’re over analyzing it?” she suggested, studying the tables. At the top of the page, the names Katniss and Peeta were placed at their own table looking out to the larger round tables printed to fill up the space. Some of the round tables were done, the names of co-workers and extended families sitting amongst themselves. The main problem was where was Katniss going to place her mother and father who have been divorced since she was eighteen years old.

“I have to!” Katniss said, letting out a frustrated breath. “I want to finish this stupid chart. Or maybe, there shouldn’t be a chart…”

Before Katniss can grab said chart and fling it away, Madge stopped her. “Wait! Wait…wait! Hold on, just…” Katniss gives her a warning look, because the word “relax” had been thrown out of the window as soon as the planning started. “…take it easy? We can totally figure this out. It’s like a puzzle.”

“Why can’t my parents act like adults when they’re around each other?” Katniss whispered, resting her arms against her knees, watching as Madge tried to arrange the little slips of paper. “This would be so much easier if they did.”

Madge hummed in agreement. “Maybe we should sit them at different tables? I know you and Peeta wanted to have your immediate family sit together…”

“Do your worst. I trust you,” Katniss added as she sat back against the cushions with her arm thrown over her eyes.

“I expect you to name your first born after me in exchange,” Madge joked. Katniss scoffed.

“You’re my maid of honor. You’re supposed to help me with this. It’s listed as a job requirement.”

“Okay…okay. Middle name then.”

* * *

Thanksgiving at the Hawthorne’s was a quite affair of the boys loudly watching football (Eli only cheering when his dad does) while eating everything Hazelle made. Vic was partial to the potato salad Madge made, so she snuck a bowl before it was almost gone.

“Just wait until Christmas. That’s when you’ll meet everybody,” Hazelle said with a small smile as they’re sitting at the table. “Are you ready for that?”

Madge paused. Was she? She was nervous that was for sure. From the stories she’s heard from Hazelle and the others, the Hawthorne’s were a very protective bunch, which was something she’s never had being from a small family. In a way, no she wasn’t ready because she doesn’t know what they think of her. It spilled out of her mouth before she could stop herself and Hazelle grabbed her hand.

“You’re going to be just fine,” she said and Madge believed her. “My sister-in-law already likes you. Just the other day, we talked on the phone and she mentioned how happy those two with you look in the photos Gale posted on Facebook.” Madge blushed. “So, you have at least one aunt in your corner. And don’t forget about me! I already approve of you,” she added, squeezing her hand in assurance with a smile.

“Thank you, Hazelle. I mean it.”

“Of course.” She patted her hand. “Now, where is that daughter of mine? We can’t eat all the pumpkin pie without her.”

“I’ll get her.”

Madge made her way down the hallway to the end and knocked on the door to her left.

“Posy? Your mom’s bringing out the pumpkin pie.”

“I’ll…I’ll be out in a minute!”

Madge turned her head slightly. Something didn’t sound right. Taking a chance, she knocked again and asked if she can come in. The door opened slightly and Madge took that as an invitation. Posy sat on the end of her bed, holding her _Winnie the Pooh_ plush doll, eyes red and her mouth set in a frown. Slowly as to not make any sudden movements, Madge closed the door and approached the fifteen-year-old.

“Whose ass do I have to kick?”

Posy tried to smile but it came out more like a grimace. “This guy…at school. I have a crush on him, but…um. I just found out h-h-e has a girlfriend now.”

“I’m sorry,” Madge whispered, sitting down next to her. Posy wiped at her eyes as she leaned into Madge, who instantly wrapped an arm around her. Posy doesn’t shed any tears and Madge assumed that’s because she’s all out of them since she had disappeared to her room right after the first serving of food.

“It just h-hurts,” Posy said after taking a shuddering breath and Madge’s hold tightened.

“I know. Crushes suck. It might seem like the end of the world, but it’s not. Okay?” Posy nodded against her, still clutching her _Winnie the Pooh_.

There’s a knock and Gale’s voice carried through the door.

“You two okay? There’s pie waiting on the table.”

“Hang on!” Madge was quick to stand up. “I’ll talk to him. You stay here if you want?”

“Yeah. I’m going to take a nap,” Posy replied, moving to the top of her bed. “Thanks.”

Madge gave her a small smile and shrugged as she draped the knitted blanket over her. “I didn’t really do anything. _But_ if you ever want to talk, I’m a good listener.” There’s another knock and Madge rolled her eyes which got Posy to laugh a little before sighing.

“My nap’s going to have to wait. You can send him in.”

“You sure?” Posy nodded. “Okay, I’ll save you a slice.”

Madge almost jumped in surprise when the door opened before she can do it herself.

“What’s wrong?” Gale asked, striding into the room. He took one look at Posy. “Are you alright? You sick?”

“I’m fine, Gale,” Posy insisted, moving over so he could sit next to her. At that, Madge left the room, leaving the two siblings to talk and mentally praying that Gale won’t jump at the first opportunity to kick some teenage boy’s ass. When she returned with a glass of water after letting Hazelle know of the situation, Gale is tucking the blanket around her _and Winnie_. Once they’re out of the room, he shuts the door behind them. “Jesus Christ. She’s growing up. I feel so old now.”

“Now? I wonder what you’ll say when Eli’s her age.”

“Oh, God,” he whispered, clutching his heart as they walk back to the living room, the boys still watching the game. “But seriously, I appreciate you being there for her. I don’t know if you know this, but she looks up to you.”

“I know. She’s like the little sister I never had. I want her to know that she can come to me—come to _us_ for anything, you know?”

“Yeah,” Gale whispered. He stopped her from entering the living room and quickly pulled her into his arms. It took her by surprise, but she doesn’t say anything because he’s looking at her so intently and she can’t look away. It was as though he was about to tell her something, but nothing comes out. His hands were warm against her back and she can’t stop herself from gripping his biceps. Has she mentioned how much she loved his biceps? She loves a lot of things in regards to Gale Hawthorne, not just his physical attributes although that is a plus (as Johanna would say). But the one thing that’s burnt across her mind is,

_I’m in love_.

It came out of nowhere. The funny thing was that the thought didn’t scare her, but saying it aloud just might.

She's saved from having to confess anything when Vic almost bumps into them on his way to the bathroom. Gale sighed again, almost in frustration to Madge, but she doesn't say anything. Instead, she gave him a kiss once Vic had passed and demanded a slice of pie she was promised minutes ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO, was Gale about to say that he loves her????


	11. December (I)

It was the Saturday after the Thanksgiving weekend and Madge was laying down in the middle of her living room, staring up at the ceiling like any other twenty-six-year-old, mentally making a list of what she needed to do. At the very top and what she was most focused on was _Talk to Gale_. Sit down and talk to him about their relationship, moving in... just everything.

She had her iTunes open on shuffle and Ellie Goulding was floating through the speakers as she sighed. She could hear Cooper padding over to her just to make sure she was still alive. It was a habit of hers, finding a nice open spot on the ground and laying there. When they were freshman roommates, Katniss would walk in to find her there, but she got used to it and few times would join her and they would lay there and talk. Cooper licked the back of her hand before trotting away to find his tennis ball.

_DING!_

Madge reached out for her phone to find a text from Johanna.

_11:06 a.m.: Have you talked to Gale yet?_

No, she hadn’t and she used that as a response to her best friend. She had texted Johanna, after getting home from Hazelle’s, how she came to the realization that she was in love with Gale and Johanna called to say she was on her way.

 _“Do you think maybe you’re moving too fast?” Johanna asked as she took a sip of her wine_. _Madge gave her a look, but Johanna continued on, “Look, I love the two of you together. I do. But the thing is, there’s three of you in this relationship.”_

_“You mean Eli.” Johanna nodded. “I know. Eli comes first. No matter what.”_

_“Okay, so maybe slow your roll on moving in?” Madge felt her face heat up._

_“Jo—”_

_“I know you’re in love. You’ve said it, like, five times, since I got here. Keep in mind, I’m not the one you’re in love with. Unless, you are? Which I’m totally cool with, but I assume Gale might have a problem with that.” Madge rolled her eyes while Johanna smirked and put her glass on the table, mindful to place in on the coaster. "Okay, look. It might seem like I’m against this, but I’m just protecting_ you _. Because what if…and this is a big IF…it doesn’t work out?”_

_"I’m not going to live my life filled with what if’s.” Madge stood up from her spot on the couch and went to the window that faced Gale’s. The curtains were drawn and the lights were off. It was probably later than she thought. She let out a sigh and turned back to Johanna who was watching her with an unreadable expression. “I love him. I love the both of them.”_

_“Okay, but are you ready to settle down? Get married? Be a mom? Because that’s what it comes down to.”_

_Madge sat back down next to Johanna. She’s been in relationships. She spent the last two years of her college career with a boyfriend, Alex, only to end it a few months after graduating when he continued acting like a frat boy, instead of the adult he was capable of being. She remembered coming home to his apartment and walking into the mess of beer bottles, pizza boxes, video games, and clothes strewn about the place. That was not the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. Alex didn’t seem too upset when she dumped him. Quite honestly, she was glad to leave._

_With Gale, it was different. Here was a man who not only tried the best for himself, but for his child and family. He talked about his day and let Madge do the same while they made dinner. He would let Cooper out in the middle of the night so the dog could do his business. He helped Eli get ready in the morning, no matter how many times the little boy insisted it was okay for him to wear his Captain America shirt every day and not brush his hair.  She could see a future with him and Eli. Was she ready? Was it too soon? Was it crazy to think they should move in together now, in this moment in time?_

_“I need to talk to Gale.”_

_Johanna nodded, poured more wine into Madge’s empty cup and handed it to her. “Hell, yeah you do. Cheers!”_

Gale and Eli were at the park, spending some one-on-one time while she was here. On the floor, thinking of how she was going to bring this up to him.

_11:07 a.m.: But you are right? You have to SOON._

_11:08 a.m.: I KNOW. I’m going to talk to him tonight._

* * *

Dinner was quiet. So quiet that Eli picked up on it and didn’t even protest that it was Saturday night and if he could _pretty please_ stay up an hour past his bedtime like he usually did. He brushed his teeth and changed into his pajamas without any help and asked Madge if she could read him a bed time story, which she did while Gale took care of the dishes. He joined them when Madge finished the story, just in time to hear them exchange goodnights. Madge placed the book back in his little bookcase and smiled at Gale as he turned on the Captain America shield nightlight while she exited the room.

He followed her to the living room with the intent to get to whatever was bothering her. He picked up on it that morning but he didn’t point it out when they parted ways for the day.

“So, what’s been bugging you?”

Madge turned to him with a nervous expression and Gale tugged her down to sit next to him. She played with the hem of his shirt as she gathered her thoughts and he waited. He lightly tipped her chin so she would look up at him.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” he whispered, her nervousness seeping into his skin.

“I think we should talk about me moving in,” she said. So, they discussed it and came to the conclusion that Madge living with him and Eli wasn’t going happen any time soon.

“I guess I got ahead of myself,” he muttered. He mentally berated himself because he really didn’t think it through when he brought it up to her. He didn’t consider how this would affect Eli and Gale felt like the worst father ever.

“I did too,” she replied, looking down at their intertwined fingers before looking into his eyes. “I’m not opposed to moving in some time in the future. Just…not in a few months.”

“The future,” he repeated, his heart lifting.

“Yeah.” She sat up straighter and had a fierce look on her face. “Gale, I am in this for the long haul. I’m ready for little league games, school performances, whatever else comes our way. I love Eli and I love you. I…I’m in love with you—why are you staring at me like that!”

Gale shook his head and couldn’t stop the grin forming. “Like what? I’m not allowed to stare at you?” He cupped her face as she began to blush. It was amazing to hear her say it. Now it was his turn. “I love you,” he whispered. “And we’ll go slow from now on.”

“Well, not _too_ slow,” Madge said as he leaned in. It was like their first kiss, slow and full of meaning. He moved his left arm to wrap around her while her hand ran through his hair. He broke away from her lips and continued to place kisses anywhere he could. Her forehead, her cheek, behind her ear, her jaw, and neck while whispering _I love you_ after each kiss.

A little while later, they were laying on the couch, Madge resting her head against his chest, watching an episode of _One Tree Hill_ on _Netflix_ while Gale grumbled that technically it was his night to choose.

* * *

“Okay, it’s my turn now. Pass her to me,” Madge teased Katniss, who immediately protested.

“I just got her!” she whispered-yelled as to not wake little Natalie Odair from sleeping.

“No you didn’t!” Madge argued in the same tone while making grabby hands. Both women quieted when Annie returned from the bathroom and looked at them amused.

“Are you two fighting over my baby?”

“Of course,” Madge said. “She’s a heartbreaker.”

Annie grinned while taking a seat in the rocking armchair. Madge leaned over Katniss’ shoulder to get a nice view of Natalie’s sleeping face. Madge lightly brushed a finger over the baby’s hand currently gripping Katniss’ index finger. Natalie was born only a month ago right before Thanksgiving and while they’ve been over to see her many times before, they still fought over who got to hold her and for how long. Finally, Katniss grudgingly agreed that her arm was getting tired and expertly passed Natalie to Madge who softly cooed at the month old when she looked ready to wake up before settling in Madge’s arms.

“How’s Dylan handling being a big brother?” Katniss asked.

“Good so far. He’s been my little helper. He brings me diapers and the wipes when she needs a change. Sometimes I let him choose the onesie she’ll wear for the day. He’s not a fan of waking up in the middle of the night, but what can you do?” Annie shrugged.

At that moment, they heard the front door open which meant the men had returned with pizza as promised. The first to bound into the living room were Eli and Dylan with the two-liter soda bottle, followed by Peeta, Gale and Finnick each carrying two boxes of pizza from the mom and pop shop, _Lorenzo’s_.

“Six boxes?” Annie asked her husband, amused. Finnick grinned and shrugged while she rolled her eyes.

“We’re growing boys, Mama,” Dylan added, coming up behind his dad to the dining room.

“Yeah, Mama,” Finnick said, leaning to the side to give Annie a hello kiss. He passed his boxes to Gale and made his way over to Katniss and Madge.

“No, Finnick!” Madge protested, when he held his hands out. “Let me hold her a bit longer!” But he was insistent, just like Madge was to Katniss, who was watching in amusement as they made the transfer before joining the others at the table.

She sat next to Eli who was already munching on his slice.

“Is that pineapple?” she asked, excitedly. She’s tried a few times to get Eli to try a few toppings because he only liked cheese pizza and every once in a while would have pepperoni. She considered this as progress.

“It’s _soooo_ good,” he replied after swallowing a bite. She looked over Eli’s head to see Gale faked gagging at the sight of the pineapple and ham pizza. So, she made sure to get the biggest slice of said pizza from the box that just happened to be the closest to them.

“It’s amazing. Tell your dad,” she added before taking a bite.

“Dad, this pizza is amazing. You’re missin’ out,” Eli said matter-of-factly.

Gale scoffed. “Bleurgh, pineapple,” he said in mock disgust, tearing into his normal pepperoni slice. “You two are so weird.”

* * *

Christmas shopping for Johanna was never a hassle, except this year she had a boyfriend. Needless to say, she was internally screaming as she walked down Third Street Promenade with Madge because she has no idea what to get him.

“Can’t I just give him a gift card?”

Madge gave her an unimpressed look. Gift cards were easy. She could get one of those Visa gift cards and he can use it anywhere.

“Your first boyfriend in years and you want to give him a gift card?”

“I give you gift cards!” Johanna protested, tightening her grip on her shopping bags, one of them filled with Disney products for her nieces. This was her chance to spoil them, don’t judge her. There was a Star Wars toy for Eli as well.

“That’s because you gave me a bag full of sex toys for my birthday,” Madge said quietly as they passed several families with small children. “Jesus. I had to beg you not to do that again.” Johanna couldn’t help the smirk as she remembered how red Madge’s face turned when she removed the tissue paper from the seemingly innocent gift bag. She was mortified, but after a few drinks she was able to laugh about it with Johanna. Good times, good times.

“Maybe I’ll just ask him?”

“You could. Or maybe. . .” Madge grabbed her hand and led her to the entrance of Victoria’s Secret. “You can be his gift. You know, let him unwrap you and all that?”

“Oh my god,” Johanna laughed as they walked in. “I must be rubbing off on you. You probably kept the toys too, huh?”

Madge blushed and avoided looking at Johanna as she browsed. “No comment.”

After dropping Madge off at her house, Johanna drove home, dumping her shopping bags on her bed. She hid the bright pink bag in her closet before making her way to the living room. Darius texted her that he’d be over with Chinese food which she appreciated because she was too lazy to cook. So, she indulged herself by watching reality shows on _Bravo_ until she heard the slam of a car door followed by the doorbell. She opened it to find Darius, red hair windswept, shouldering his duffle bag and with his arms full of plastic bags containing their dinner.

“Hey,” she smiled brightly after he leaned in for a kiss. She can tell he had a long day by the pressure of his lips and how he greedily took another.  She urged him in and he managed to shut the door behind him. She took the bags and began opening them on the dining room table while he set his bag down next to the couch.

“I got the usual and made sure to get the fortune cookies that I somehow forgot last time.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever forgive you for that,” she teased, opening the carton of beef and broccoli as he sat down on the chair beside her, leaning back and placing his hand on the small of her back. She found five fortune cookies in the other bag and whooped. “Okay, you’re forgiven.”

Dinner went by fast; the leftovers put away, dishes were drying on the rack and they went to the living room so Johanna could continue watching her shows. It was during a commercial break when Johanna lifted her head from his chest and asked what he wanted for Christmas.

“Aren’t you supposed to surprise me?” he joked, lightly running his fingers up and down her back under her shirt. She hit his chest as he laughed. “Honestly, I really don’t want anything.”

“At all? Nothing?”

“A million dollars.”

“Darius.”

“Okay, okay. Five million dollars.”

“Oh my god.” That’s it. He’s getting a gift card from Sports Chalet. She shut him up by kissing him and he eagerly responded, cupping the back of her neck. She could kiss him for days and she close to protesting when he ended it. She opened her eyes to see him staring back at her, his thumb gently placed against her bottom lip. She nipped at it because this make out session was not going to end any time soon if she had her way.

“Seriously, I don’t need anything. Do you want anything for Christmas?” he asked.

She shrugged her shoulder. “Just to spend it with you.”

* * *

 

On the morning of December nineteenth, Madge found herself in a movie theater, with Eli sitting between her and Gale, waiting for the lights to slowly turn off and for the movie to start just like everyone else in the theater. She never thought she’d be at an eight in the morning showing. Midnight showings, sure. But eight in the morning? Thank God she had her coffee beforehand.

There was cheering as the lights dimmed and the trailers played. Then there was an electrified silence, because it was _finally here_. Madge remembered watching the films with her parents as a child and teenager. Hell, she still had the VHS tapes of the original trilogy. Suddenly the logo appeared and the iconic music began to play and all Madge could think was _holy shit._

After the credits rolled, they were still sitting in their seats as most of the other patrons walked out of the theater, eagerly discussing what they had just watched.

“Can we see it again?” Eli asked, bouncing in his seat as he turned his head to look at her and Gale. Gale looked over his head at her, with a hopeful expression just like the one hi son was sporting.

“I mean, I wouldn’t mind,” she shrugged. “Just let me come to terms with what happened.”

“I’m choosing to ignore that part,” Gale said, as he stood up and stretched, following Eli as he held onto Madge’s hand.

They walked out into the brightness, agreeing on going to eat somewhere, and made their way to Gale’s car. Madge opened the door to the backseat so Eli can hop in, but he stopped and made Gale crouch down in front of him. She watched as Eli whispered something to Gale before throwing his arms around him and Madge had a feeling it had to do with the climax of the movie, but she doesn’t say a word about it as they drove away.

* * *

Katniss watched from the doorway as Peeta looked at the coffee table covered in wedding plans.

“I’m scared to touch anything,” he said as she sat down beside him. She sighed as she surveyed the mess that would become their organized and small wedding. She began to straighten everything, but Peeta placed his hands on top of hers and that got her to look into his blue eyes.

“I love you, but let me clean this up,” he said with a small grin. So, she does. She has to tell him where certain things go in the binder when he would hesitate. Once he’s done, they settle back onto the couch with her head rested against his chest.

“We’re getting married in three months,” he whispered. It was a crazy thought, but it was a happy crazy, if that made sense. Being a child of divorce, Katniss never thought she would get married, but here she was.

With Peeta, she was the happiest she had ever been. She wanted to marry this man who was a pain in her side when she was eighteen. The pain had grown into something else. Okay, it was love. She was afraid to say it out loud, but Peeta managed to coax it out of her one night during their senior year when they had stayed up all night after a football game. All she wanted to do was sleep, but Peeta, happy and wide awake, convinced her not too.

So, they shared a wooden armchair with cushions that was left on the roof of Peeta’s apartment building. She sat between his legs, her back against his chest, a thick blanket thrown over them. She would complain that she could be sleeping at that moment, but Peeta shushed her, whispering in her ear to stop pretending to sleep and open her eyes. When she did, the sun was rising and it was amazing. Pink, red, the shade of orange Peeta was partial of. It was all there. She whispered how beautiful it was and he replied how it wasn’t as beautiful as her. That had her shaking her head with a scoff, because he would say something like that. She called him a goof and _I love you_ slipped out before she could stop herself. He took it and repeated it back to her sealing it with a kiss.

“I know I don’t say this often, but I love you Peeta,” she said quietly. “I love you so much.”

“I love you,” he returned. “I can’t wait to marry you, Katniss Everdeen."

"Mellark," she corrected.  "Katniss Everdeen Mellark."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to show little snippets of the going-ons between the three couples and have it begin with one couple saying "I love you" and ending the chapter with another couple reiterating those words. Hopefully that came across right?
> 
> Happy Valentine's Day! Oh, and happy belated Galentine's Day!


	12. December (II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *nervously looks around* Hey! How's it going? Good? Cool, cool. Well I know it's been awhile but I'm still here so here's a chapter of holiday fluff! Just fluff on fluff on fluff. It's what I'm best at.

The plan was simple. Gale, with Madge and Eli in tow, would drive over to his mother’s house to pick up whatever presents Hazelle couldn’t fit into her car and follow her to his grandparents’ home to spend Christmas Eve with the rest of the Hawthornes. It was simple but this was the first time Madge would meet his extended family and yeah, she was nervous.

“You’re going to be fine,” Gale assured her as she agonized over what pair of ankle boots she was going to wear with her outfit of a nice sweater and jeans…or would that be too informal?

“That’s easy for you to say. You already know their names!”

Sensing a breakdown, Gale walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist before she can find something else to wear.

“Relax,” he whispered, rubbing her lower back in small circles. “Yeah, I know their names and you will too. They’re not expecting to remember everyone’s name and birthdays. And if you call someone by another name don’t sweat it because my grandpa did it all the time,” he added.

“Seriously?” she asked. He gave her a serious look but there was something there that Madge was sure he was teasing.

“Oh yeah. He would go through the whole roster before getting the right name.”

Madge poked at his chest and giggled, “You’re so lying!”

Gale let her go as she lightly pushed away to put her shoes on. It was easy to see that she was still nervous but at least she wasn’t pacing from her closet to the mirror when Gale first walked into the room after leaving Eli in the living room with Captain America playing on the flat screen. Now, he watched his girlfriend stand and check herself one last time in the mirror.

“Ready?” he asked, leaning against the door jamb with his arms crossed. She took a deep breath and nodded.

She was quiet during the car ride but Gale let her be. Maybe it wasn’t the best idea to introduce her to the rest of his family on a major holiday, but they were and he was confident that it would be smooth sailing throughout the night.

It was tradition to spend Christmas Eve at his grandparents’ house since his aunts and uncles would head to their in-laws or stay home the next day. Staying home with Eli was the usual at his house. It was hard to get the little boy to sleep in, but Gale didn’t mind as he would get to watch Eli open the presents he wasn’t allowed to the night before. He couldn’t wait until Eli was older so the gifts everyone got him were less toys and more clothes or gift cards just how it happened to Gale and the other cousins around his age. But he wasn’t going to hold his breath anytime soon.

It was nearing sunset and most of the houses on the block decorated in Christmas lights were turned on and a few houses down the Sandovals’ had their Winter Wonderland display up and running. The Hawthorne house had its usual lights around the house and the last week Gale found more lights in the garage and was able to wind it around the trees in the front yard.

Eli oohed from the backseat as soon as they parked. The little boy was quick to take his seat belt off but thankfully child lock was a thing so he couldn’t jump out of the car like he had hoped.

“Dang it,” Eli whispered as he tried the handle again.

“Give me a second, buddy,” Madge laughed as Gale got out to grab the bags of presents from the back. He gave one bag to Madge, who had Eli holding onto her other hand. Rory and Vic had the other presents so they walked up the concrete path.

The curtains on one side of the house were pulled open and Madge could see people sitting and eating at the table but what made her curious was the little girl with her face pressed up against one of the windows, her hands around her eyes to make it easier to watch them walk.

“Eli’s here!” the little girl said, although it was muffled by the window. “They’re here!”

As soon as they entered the house, it became a total whirlwind of saying hello to anyone who came up to Madge and she was thankful Gale stayed by her side. Eli was being held and spun around by one of Gale’s uncles as Hazelle tried to stop it before the boy got sick. The little girl, Layla, ran up to Gale to be picked up. She tucked her face on Gale’s shoulder as she shyly looked at Madge.

“Layla,” Gale said to the girl. “This is my girlfriend, Madge. Can you say hi?”

“Hi,” she said.

“Hi, Layla. You’re wearing a very pretty dress.”

Madge’s smile grew wide as the little girl lifted her head from Gale’s shoulder. The dress was burgundy and had short sleeves with a black bow wrapped around her waist. Since it was mid-length, Layla was wearing white tights and completing the look were little black boots.

“You have shoes like me!” Layla exclaimed, pointing down.

“I do. Although, yours are way cuter.”

“Mama picked them. I wanted to wear sandals,” she sighed as the couple laughed.

“Boots are the way to go,” Gale said, setting Layla down when she demanded it. “Go boss Rory around.” Layla nodded and marched off with a determined look on her face. “See? Not so bad,” he grinned at Madge.

Maybe he was right, but she wasn’t going to let him know that. The initial fear of meeting everyone had gone away, but she still had to meet his grandparents so she followed him into the kitchen where his mother was talking to an older woman.

“Ah, Gale! There you are,” said the woman, who Madge easily assumed was his grandmother. She walked to the pair, made Gale bend his knees so she can reach his shoulders to hug and kiss his cheek before turning to her grey eyes on Madge. The trepidation came back in full force, but she stood her ground and was surprised when she cupped her face.

“Oh Hazelle you weren’t kidding she is beautiful. Those eyes! So blue!”

“Uh, thank you,” Madge squeaked as her face was still in between her hands.

“Mina, maybe let her breath,” Hazelle joked. Madge blushed as Grandma Mina patted her cheek before she let go.

“She’s fine! Now, are you hungry because we have a lot of food and I’d rather get you a plate now before the boys eat it all.”

“Hey! I’m one of those _boys_ ,” Gale said in an offended tone before smiling cheekily as Grandma Mina tsked at him. Madge’s stomach grumbled as she watched the older woman packed the thick paper plate with servings of rice, beans, mash potatoes and gravy, two tamales and a piece of honey baked ham.

“Which is why she’s served first,” Mina replied.

As the night went on, Gale could see how relaxed Madge became around his family. She was currently talking to some of his younger cousins, namely fourteen-year-old Olivia, who was interested in the fact that she worked with _the_ Cinna. He took a sip of his coffee to hide his smile as he watched his girlfriend—god, he loved saying that—talk about her designs and Olivia was hanging on to every word.

His cousins Andrew and Hector joined him at the dining room table, each holding plates of tamales because of course they found a way to hide what had to be their fourth helpings.

“So,” Hector said, making sure to keep his voice low so the other two could only hear him, “You found the one, huh?”

“Why else would he bring her to the house?” Andrew asked, taking a huge bite out of a tamale.

“Bro, are you going to put a ring on it?”

Gale quickly cuffed Hector on the back of his head. This was a typical of the three of them. Being the oldest, they were stuck together and looked so much alike they were often confused for triplets by other people that didn’t known the Hawthorne family. Gale was more silent than the other two and it was obvious now because he took his time finishing his coffee before he gave them an answer.

“I brought her here because she’s my girlfriend, which neither of you two have, right?” He paused as both men rolled their eyes. “Right. As for the second question? Mind your business. I better not hear you say that around Eli.”

“Jesus…I was joking,” Hector muttered, still rubbing the back of his head while Andrew covered his smirk with his drink. Gale knew Vic sent them the video of him tackling Rory to the ground and Gale didn’t want to repeat it with Hector, so warning him now was easier. They might be grown men but often resolved things in a child-like manner much to their respective parents’ dismay.

“I can’t wait until you get a girlfriend,” Gale said, leaning back in his chair. His eyes flicked over to Madge smiling at Eli, who was showing her the latest Star Wars action figure he received from Ariana, Hector’s younger sister.

“Don’t hold your breath,” Andrew scoffed, dodging Hector’s fist with practiced ease.

* * *

This was the first time Madge woke up at seven on Christmas morning. She was lucky enough to have a cup of coffee placed in her hands as soon as she sat up.

“Thank you,” she sighed before giving Gale a quick kiss.

Eli gave them the puppy eyes the night before because he wanted to sleep in the living room to catch Santa. So, Gale and Madge brought out all the blankets and pillows and moved the coffee table so they could set it up while Eli changed into his pajamas and Cooper lazily wagged his tail from his doggie bed.

“Ready for a bad back?” Madge whispered teasingly before Eli came back into the room. Gale made a face and tossed a pillow at her head in jest.

Eli claimed the spot closest to the Christmas tree stationed in the corner, with Gale in the middle and Madge on his other side. The cookies and milk were on the coffee table…

And Eli was out like a light in five minutes.

“Well so much for that,” Gale quietly said. Madge rolled her eyes and watched as he got out of his pile of blankets. She thought he was leaving to sleep in his room which—rude. But he came back with a stack of wrapped presents and tiptoed around them to set them under the tree. She shook her head as he sat near the coffee table to enjoy the cookies and milk.

Now, she was wrapped in a blanket on one corner of the couch as Eli unwrapped one present after another. Only three were labeled as being from Santa while the other three were from Gale and their friends.

It shouldn’t have been hard to find something for the little boy, yet Madge agonized over what to get him. Her assumption that he would get a lot of action figures came true last night so she bought him comic book character guide books from the local bookstore’s children section and a toy to be safe.

“Whoa,” Eli gasped as he thumbed through the pages of the book dedicated to Marvel characters. Gale worked on getting the wrapping paper into the recycling bin, but she could see the small smile on his face because she’s mentioned to him how she was having trouble finding the perfect gift weeks ago.

“You like it?” Madge asked, unsure. Eli jumped onto the couch next to her, offering her a hug which she returned.

“Yup! This is great! I can practice my reading,” he added, settling against her side so she can look at the pages too and help him sound out any words he had trouble with.

So, they sat on the couch together and Eli told her about the various characters he already knew about while she took occasional sips of her coffee. She could hear Gale puttering around the kitchen no doubt making chocolate chip pancakes that Eli requested the night before.

This was one of those moments where Madge couldn’t believe this was her life now. If someone told her months ago that she would be in a relationship with her next-door neighbor, she would have laughed and said that would be the start of a great porn video. But she was, and just survived meeting his family for the first time so yeah she can celebrate with coffee and a stack of pancakes.

A few hours later, Eli settled into his bed for his afternoon nap and Gale came back into the living room with a hand behind his back and Madge immediately knew.

“Gale! We said no presents!”

It was decided a few weeks ago because both said they didn’t want or need anything. Of course, Gale went against that decision.

“It’s nothing big,” he said, sitting next to her. He brought his hand around and presented a stack of what looked like flashcards held together with a rubberband. “It’s just something fun for the both of us.”

Madge took the rubberband off and started flipping through the cards. Not cards, but coupons. He printed out couple coupons. There were a few simple ones, like candle-lit dinner or clean the bathroom and then towards the end there were the sexual coupons or has it was written across the card “naughty coupons”.

“‘Good for one blow job.’ Really?” she laughed, pushing him away from her. It’s cute that he thought that they would need coupons for this. If he asked nicely for a blowjob, she wasn’t going to turn him down but if he wanted to make full use of the cards then that was fine with her.

“I did say fun for the both of us. Look, here’s one that’s good for fifty kisses except I can’t kiss you on the lips….”

Madge rolled her eyes before presenting him with a tame coupon.

“You sure you want to use one right now?” he asked, leaning into her for a kiss. She obliged, making sure to rake her fingers through his hair before pulling back.

“One cuddle please,” she said primly. They rearrange themselves on the couch managing to fit with Gale pressed up against the couch and Madge’s back against his front. She grabbed his arm to wrap around her and she sighed in content. “It doesn’t say how long for the cuddle.”

“I figured whenever Eli woke up. So, we have like an hour. Merry Christmas babe,” he whispered by her ear before kissing her cheek.

Merry Christmas, indeed.

* * *

 

“I would have never guessed that you owned a tuxedo,” a familiar teasing voice said. Gale turned and a smirking Johanna wearing a blood red dress stood with a champagne flute in her hand.

“And I never thought I say I’m glad to see you.” Gale gave her a quick hug and kiss. “Kidding. Did you drag Darius here too?”

Gale’s been to New Year Eve parties before but none of them have been hosted by a fashion designer on the rooftop of some hotel in Beverly Hills. There was a makeshift dance floor next to the pool that no one was in because it was freezing by Southern California standards. Instead, there were floating LED candles that periodically change colors and Gale had to admit it was cool. Everything to him was sophisticated and he was afraid to touch anything even the glass of rum and coke the bartender handed him earlier.

“I did. He’s getting more alcohol. Open bar can only last for so long,” she smirked. “How’s the little man?”

“He’s good.” Eli had pushed Gale and Madge to the car after they dropped him off with Katniss and Peeta so they wouldn’t be late for the party. “He’s spending the night with his godmother.”

“Does he plan to stay up the whole night?” she laughed just as Darius returned with the promised alcohol and Madge in tow.

“Eh, probably not.” He checked his watch. 8:30. “He’ll be asleep soon.”

“I don’t know,” Madge said, curling her arm around his. “He was asking Katniss for coffee.”

“He’s not getting coffee.”

“He can be very convincing,” she argued back, playfully. “I’m already tired. When can we leave?”

“I think you need another drink,” Darius said. “‘Cause we ain’t leaving until after midnight.”

“Hear, hear!” Johanna clinked her glass against her boyfriend’s. “Madge, the party has just begun. Besides you look smokin’ hot and everyone here needs to witness that and regret not having you to kiss them at midnight. Right, Gale?”

There was that smirk again and it didn’t help that Darius had the same look. Johanna was right—Madge in her silver backless dress was smoking hot and he couldn’t wait until they went to hers because the kid wasn’t going to be home which meant _no interruptions_. It was rare and Gale was going to take advantage of that fact.

“Right,” Gale chuckled, pulling his arm out of Madge’s grasp to wind it around her waist. He considered himself very discreet as he grazed his fingertips against her bare back before resting his hand against her hip. He smothered his grin as she shot him a look. “I want everyone to be jealous.”

They talked with Johanna and Darius some more before mingling with other guests of Cinna’s. A Hollywood actress known only by her first name (“Glimmer,” Madge whispered in annoyance.) blatantly flirted with him—Madge quickly pulled him away before it got worse. A modeling agent gave him his business card and someone else thought he was some hotshot director. It was all very surreal.

Finally, the countdown begun at 11:50. Gale was given a pair of sunglasses that said 2016 and Madge was given a plastic top hat with Happy New Year stenciled on the front. Johanna and Darius found them somehow wearing even more party favors, including gold beads and leis.

“Ready?” Madge asked him as she easily turned in his arms. Everyone began counting down at twenty seconds.

“I’m ready for the after party,” he teased, letting his hands span the length of her back. He felt her shiver even though she was warm to the touch.

“Are you going to use a coupon,” she teased right back, pushing herself closer to him.

“Since it’s a holiday, I’m going to use two.”

“Two!” she gasped. “That’s not how it works!”

“I can’t hear you,” he lied with a grin. The counting got louder at five seconds. He cupped her face, careful as to not knock the hat off her head, but she tugged his sunglasses off so they can look at each other straight in the eyes.

At two, she told him she loved him. At one, he said it back.

As everyone yelled, “Happy New Year!” they sealed it with a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this means I'm forgiven for being MIA????? If you found any mistakes let me know! Comments and kudos are welcomed!


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